


Warnertale

by MKartracingqueen



Category: Animaniacs, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 37
Words: 94,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21868810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MKartracingqueen/pseuds/MKartracingqueen
Summary: While in search of adventure, the Warners stumble upon video game territory and fall down Mount Ebott. Friendship, romance, smooth talk, and sheer determination just might help them make it through and survive. But what happens when it becomes more than just a matter of going home?
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Asgore Dreemurr/Toriel
Comments: 9
Kudos: 75





	1. Fallen Down

The sun shone brightly on the Water Tower in the Warner Bros. Movie Lot. Of course, as most people know, it was the home of none other than the Warners. They opened the door, looking out at their surroundings. They jumped out with huge grins on their faces and backpacks on their backs. Before they could land on the ground, they pulled cords attached to their backpacks, releasing parachutes. They skyrocketed back up to the peak of the tower, then slowly and gently made their way down, their parachutes covering their bodies. They lifted their parachutes up and looked at the readers.

"Way to make an entrance, huh?" said Yakko.

He whistled, catching Ralph's attention. The fat, dumb security guard ran at them with a net. Yakko effortlessly slid through Ralph's legs as Wakko pulled his hat down, rendering him unable to see. Dot tapped his shoulder, which made him lower his net...on himself. The Warners gave each other high-fives and ran off.

"So," said Yakko, "whaddya wanna do today?"

"I dunno," said Wakko.

"Hey," said Dot, "why don't we go through one of the rabbit tunnels?"

"Good idea," said Yakko, "we haven't used them in a while."

They dug a hole and went through one of the many rabbit tunnels underground, a-la Bugs Bunny. After many hours, they finally reached the end. Yakko climbed out, followed by Wakko and Dot.

"Glad that's over," said Dot. "We would've gotten here faster if it wasn't for Wakko's potty emergencies!"

"I couldn't hold it in!" he retaliated. "Where are we anyw-"

"Shhhhhh!" said Yakko, looking around.

They seemed to be in a forest or some kind of wilderness area, but it radiated a peculiar aura. Yakko's eyes shifted from one tree to another, checking out the strange new environment he and his siblings stumbled upon.

"What?" said Dot.

"Listen. That distant background music...somethin' tells me we're in video game territory! _Computer_ video game, to be specific."

"Would ya look at that?" said Dot. "Not a single cursor in sight!"

She let out a sigh of relief, remembering how awful it felt to be controlled by a random player in computer game territory. She was also relieved that their designs didn't change into one of the weirder bitmap ones.

"Looks like we're the players," said Wakko. "But where do we start?"

Yakko turned around and saw a large mountain.

"How about that mountain?"

They walked towards it, finding out that the closer they were, the louder the background music became. Obviously it meant they were supposed to go there. Upon approaching, The Warners saw a sign at the bottom of the mountain, which read _Mt. Ebott_. Yakko shrugged and started climbing, his siblings following closely behind him. As they continued climbing the mountain, they saw various different signs and took turns reading them. The first one showed a picture of a short-haired human, wearing a large poncho and holding a spear while standing next to an anthropomorphic goat-like creature, who was wearing a robe.

" _Long ago_ ," Yakko read, " _two races ruled over Earth: **HUMANS** and **MONSTERS**_."

The next sign showed a picture of the same human, holding their spear in front of a larger goat. This goat, however, wore a crown and a cape, signifying it was a king. King of the monsters, that is. He also had horns sticking out of his head and held a trident. Both the human and the monster had a crowd of other humans and monsters behind them.

" _One day_ ," Wakko read, " _war broke out between the two races_."

The following sign showed a picture of monsters looking up at the humans.

" _After a long battle_ ," Dot read, " _the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell_."

The last sign had no picture.

" _Legends say that those who climb the mountains never return_ ," Yakko read. "Hmmm, sounds kinda dangerous...we should keep goin'!"

"Yeah!" Wakko and Dot cheered in agreement.

Finally, they reached the top.

"Whoa..." said Yakko.

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"Ya got a great view from up here!" said Dot.

They knelt in front of a large hole at the top of Mount Ebott. Looking down, there was nothing but darkness.

"Hello?" Yakko called out, but he only heard his own echo.

"Anyone down there?" Wakko called, also hearing nothing but his echo.

He leaned in closer, trying to get a better look. Suddenly, he tripped over a vine. The ground also gave away beneath Dot, sending both of them falling down the hole screaming.

"SIBS!" Yakko screamed.

He leaned forward and tried to grab them, but he missed. Unfortunately, he also lost his balance and screamed as he fell with his siblings. After a few seconds, they landed on the ground, which was surprisingly comfortable. Yakko was on his stomach, Wakko on his back, and Dot on her side. Yakko got up off the ground first, brushing the dust off his slacks.

"Ya guys ok?" he said, helping Wakko and Dot up.

"Yeah," said Dot, "we're fine."

"Good thing those golden flowers broke our fall," said Wakko.

Yakko looked down and saw that they were indeed standing on golden flowers.

"No wonder that landing wasn't so bad."

They looked up, trying to see the top of the mountain. However, it led to nothing.

"Wakko," said Yakko, "ya got the plot holes?"

Wakko reached into his Gag Bag and tried to take out the plot holes so they could get out of the hole. But he couldn't find them, which he showed through his slightly panicked facial expression.

"Oh no," said Dot. "Ya left them at home, didn't ya?"

"No," said Wakko, "I swear I put 'em in here before we left!"

This meant only one thing: the Warners were trapped underground.

"Oh well," said Yakko, shrugging it off. After all, what was he supposed to do about it?

He looked down a long hallway that led to the rest of the Underground.

"Looks like we'll have to keep movin' forward."

They walked down the hallway and through a large door-shaped hole. And that's how their adventure began.


	2. Tu-Toriel

Entering the next room, the Warners found a flower with a big smile on his face.

"Howdy! I'm Flowey. Flowey the Flower! Hmmm...You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha? Golly, you must be _so_ confused."

Despite knowing him for only a few lines of dialogue, Flowey was too cheerful for the Warners' tastes and creeped them out.

"This flower scares me," Wakko whispered to Yakko.

"Yeesh," Yakko muttered, "it's like he came straight outta 'Baloney and Kids'!"

"Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!" said Flowey.

"I hope it's not _him_ ," Dot said under her breath, shuddering.

"I guess little old me will have to do."

She internally facepalmed herself.

"Oh, great."

"Ready? Here we go!"

The Warners felt an invisible force tug at them. They were pulled closer to Flowey and found themselves surrounded by a white box. They also felt a red glow resonating deep within each of their hearts.

"Feel those glows resonating deep within your hearts?" Flowey asked. "Those are your souls, the very culminations of your beings!"

"The more you know," said Yakko, slightly impressed.

"When somebody initiates an encounter like this one, they'll be active and any damage or healing goes straight to them. You'll also find yourself being pulled closer to whoever initiated the encounter. Your souls start off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV."

"LV?" said Dot. "What's LV?"

"LOVE, of course!" said Flowey, still enthusiastic. "You want some LOVE, don'tcha? Don't worry, I'll share some with you!"

Flowey winked at them and stuck his tongue out. The Warners gave each other strange looks, finding Flowey's behavior untrustworthy. Something told them he wasn't as nice as he tried to make them believe.

"Down here, LOVE is shared through..."

He summoned five small white floating objects.

"Little white...'friendliness pellets'. Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!"

The so-called friendliness pellets flew towards them, gradually going faster each second. Realizing what he was trying to do, the Warners decided to have fun with their new foil.

"Nuh-uh," said Dot as she effortlessly stepped out of the way and dodged the friendliness pellets.

Flowey gave her an annoyed look.

"Hey buddy, you missed them. Let's try again, okay?"

His face returned to his regular smile. This time, he aimed the friendliness pellets towards Wakko.

"Nope," he said, mimicking Dot's movement.

This time, Flowey got angry.

"Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!"

Yakko chuckled at this non-surprising giveaway. Flowey quickly realized his mistake and corrected himself.

"Friendliness pellets," he quickly muttered as he aimed the bullets towards Yakko.

This time, they went much faster than before. They were so fast that Yakko had to jump out of the way and almost ran into the boundary box.

"Whoa! Sorry, Flowey. But, uhhhhhhh...we'd rather stay alive."

Flowey's face changed into a creepier, somewhat forced smile. His voiced also deepened into a more demonic tone. The Warners cringed, finding it unexpected and intimidating.

" ** _You know what's going on here, don't you?_** "

"Yeah," said Yakko, "we're not stupid."

" _ **You just wanted to see me suffer.**_ "

A circle of white bullets surrounded the Warners and the boundary box was reduced to half its original size. Acting fast, the Warners took out their mallets.

" **DIE."**

He let out an evil laugh as the bullets closed in slowly on them.

"Come at me, ya little weed!" Yakko shouted. "Come at me!"

The Warners were not afraid, thinking they could easily whack the pellets with their mallets. Instead, they put on fierce faces, getting ready to hit them away. But before they could do so, the bullets were engulfed by flames and turned to ashes. The boundary box surrounding them also disappeared.

"Huh?" said Wakko.

Flowey was just as confused as his unusual victims. He looked to the side, only to get hit by a stray fireball. Out came a tall goat, wearing a purple robe. She looked like she was somewhere in her fifties or sixties. Wakko stared at her in awe as she spoke.

"What a terrible creature, torturing such poor, innocent youths..."

The Warners put away their mallets.

"Ah," she reassured, "do not be afraid, my children."

"What," said Yakko. "scared of a _flower_? Nah, he had nothin' on us. We were gonna hit those bullets away!"

She giggled.

"I am afraid your mallets would not have helped you."

"I dunno," Yakko shrugged, "they're pretty strong."

"Giant goat!" Wakko shouted as he snapped out of his trance, ran over to the goat lady, and hugged her.

"Oh!"

She stared down at Wakko, surprised, then smiled and picked him up.

"Hello, little one."

She pressed her nose against his, making him giggle, then had him perched on her shoulder.

"You are the cutest thing, are you not?"

"I don't think so," said Dot, making puppy-dog eyes.

The elderly goat woman merely smiled at Dot.

"I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins."

"Nice to meet ya," said Yakko, shaking her hand. "I'm Yakko!"

"I'm Wakko!"

"And I'm Dot, the impossibly cute one!"

"We're the Warner Brothers!" said Yakko and Wakko in unison.

" _And_ the Warner Sister!" Dot joined in.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," said Toriel.

"So," said Yakko, "what brought ya here?"

"I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first children to come here in a long time. In fact, you are the first humanfolk to fall down. In case this confuses you, we use the term 'humanfolk' to describe non-human creatures from the surface."

Wakko jumped off her shoulder and stood next to his siblings.

"Come!" said Toriel. "I will guide you through the catacombs. This way."

The Warners' souls deactivated as Toriel walked away. Looking down, Yakko found a sturdy looking stick. He put it in his pants, then joined his siblings and followed Toriel through another door-shaped hole and into a purple room. Toriel made her way up some stairs as the Warners found a small, glowing star by a pile of red leaves. The shadow of the ruins loomed above, filling them with determination. They followed Toriel up the stairs and found a new room.

"Welcome to your new home, innocent ones."

"Oh, please!" said Dot. "Yakko's anything _but_ innocent!"

He playfully elbowed her as Toriel continued.

"Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins."

She walked to the side, where six grey buttons were attached to the ground. Stepping on them in an orderly manner and pressing a switch on the wall, she opened the door to the next room.

"The Ruins are full of puzzles," Toriel explained. "Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys."

"Puzzles?" said Wakko.

The trio's eyes widened.

"Oh, boy!" said Yakko.

"Alright!" said Dot. "I love puzzles!"

"Then I do not think you will have much difficulty solving them. As I was saying, one must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them."

As she walked through the door, the Warners took a moment to read the sign on the other side of the wall.

" _Only the fearless may proceed_ ," Dot read. " _Brave ones, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road._ Huh, how profound."

They caught up with Toriel. The next room was similar to the previous one, but had green vines on the walls and two rivers, each having a wooden bridge over them.

"To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches. Do not worry, I have labelled the ones that you need to flip."

"Aw," said Yakko, putting his hand out, "ya don't need to treat us special."

"Oh, but I insist."

She smiled at Yakko and walked to the second bridge. The Warners read the next two signs, the first being planted in the ground.

" _Press [Z] to read signs!_ This really _is_ a computer game," said Wakko.

He and Dot walked across a wooden bridge over the river, but Yakko stopped to read the sign on the wall.

" _Stay on the path._ Well, I would've if there wasn't a conveniently placed sign right here!"

Toriel tried not to laugh at Yakko's little outburst. He followed his siblings, Wakko already having pressed the first switch. Toriel walked to the end of the room, standing in front of a row of spikes that blocked the way. Dot, ahead of Yakko, pressed the second switch, removing the row of spikes from the ground. Yakko would've pressed the third switch, if it wasn't for it not having been labelled or if the spikes hadn't been removed. Besides, it was broken.

"Splendid!" Toriel cheered. "I am proud of you, little ones. Let us move to the next room."

They followed her, arriving in a small room with a training dummy.

"As humanfolk living in the Underground, monsters may attack you. You will need to prepare for this situation. However, worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a fight."

"We'll beat 'em in one hit!" said Yakko.

Toriel became concerned about his smart remark.

"I would not recommend that; not all monsters want to fight you and their bodies are much weaker than those of humans and humanfolk. Surely they would die and turn to dust."

Yakko took back what he said, as it was below his and his siblings' moral code to kill anyone.

"While you are in a fight, strike up a friendly conversation. Stall for time, I will come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to the dummy."

They encountered the dummy, which caused that invisible force to pull them closer to the enemy once more. Checking the dummy, they could tell it had a cotton heart and a button eye. They were the apples of its eye. After the examination, it looked like it was gonna fall over. Yakko, being the most talkative, took the lead and entered rapid fire mode.

"Hiya, dummy! How ya doin'? Where ya from? Did ya ever wanna be more than just a dummy or are ya happy with how ya are now? Don'tcha think there's more to life than being just a training dummy waitin' for somebody to beat ya up?"

Toriel laughed at Yakko's antics while Dot rolled her eyes. The dummy didn't seem much for conversation, but Toriel was pleased with them.

"Ah, very good! You are _very_ good at talking."

"They don't call me Yakko for nothin'!"

Yakko beamed with pride. Toriel entered the next room, the Warners following and staying close together.

"There is another puzzle in this room...I wonder if you can solve it?"

They continued walking down the hallway, eventually finding another sign of stone. The Warners stopped for a minute to read the sign.

" _The western room is the eastern room's blueprint_..." Wakko read.

"Looks like we gotta solve riddles too," said Dot.

They kept walking, catching up with Toriel and finding a large lake. It also had a wooden bridge for them to get across, but it was longer and covered in spikes.

"This is the puzzle, but..."

She stopped for a moment, considering that the Warners' lives would be in peril if they didn't know how to solve the puzzle.

"Here, take my hand for a moment."

"I have a better idea," said Yakko, winking at his siblings.

Getting the idea, they winked back and jumped on Toriel. She let out a yelp as she was pinned to the floor. Then she got up on all fours as the Warners perched themselves on her back.

"Pony ride! Pony ride! Pony ride!" they chanted.

Toriel giggled, finding their playfulness quite pleasant.

"How adorable!"

Letting her playful side out, she pretended to neigh like a horse and galloped her way through the puzzle. Then she had the Warners get off her back as she stood back up.

"Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now."

"Don't worry," said Yakko, "we don't mind a little danger."

"I can tell. I am sure you will be fine, but I worry."

Yakko admired Toriel's motherly behavior towards him and his siblings, thinking of his own mom. They entered the next room.

"You have done excellently thus far, my children. However, it is getting late. I must take you to my home; you three must be exhausted from your journey here. Luckily, I know a shortcut."

They walked down a long hallway and went behind a pillar. Toriel knocked twice on the wall, revealing a passageway to her home. Toriel noticeably walked slightly faster than the Warners, as if in a hurry. After walking for a while, they entered a kitchen.

"Welcome to my home," said Toriel. "Please excuse me for a minute, I just remembered I have to do something. It has been a while since I have cleaned up, as I have not expected company so soon."

She speedwalked away, not giving the Warners enough time to respond, so they decided to look around the kitchen. It was neat and clean, despite some white fur stuck in the drain of the sink. The stovetop, on the other hand, was very clean. Toriel must've used fire magic to cook instead.

"I wonder what's in the fridge," said Wakko.

He opened it up. For some reason, there was a brand-name chocolate bar in there. Wakko was about to take it out and eat it, but noticed Toriel coming back, so he quickly stuffed it in his mouth and swallowed it down before she could catch him in the act.

"I am back! Sorry if I took long, but I wanted you to have a nice time living here, my children. So I have a surprise for you. This way."

She walked off with the Warners following her. They passed through a living room and a set of stairs.

"Nice place ya got here, Toriel," said Yakko.

"Thank you, Yakko."

After passing the stairs, they arrived at a long hallway with a carpet over a wooden floor.

"This is it..."

She took Wakko's hand, as he was most fond of her, and led him and his siblings to the first room on their left.

"A room of your own. I hope you like it!"

She affectionately petted Wakko's head.

"Oh dear, it is much later than I thought it would be. You must go to bed and get some rest. I will see you tomorrow."

She hugged the Warners.

"Goodnight, my children."

And with that, she headed off. The Warners walked into their room, which was slightly small. Three beds were there, one for each sibling. The room was also red, which contrasted greatly with the yellow living room walls. Yakko walked over to his bed, which had a chest by the foot of it.

"Hey, sibs! Check out these cool toys!"

He stood there for a moment.

"They're not very interesting."

He closed the chest and walked to the closet, which was empty.

"I'm gonna change into my pj's. Be right back."

He got inside and closed the doors. Wakko approached a shelf and found an empty photo frame. He coughed as dust was spread around him. Dot stumbled upon a box of kids' shoes in many different sizes, none matching hers or her brothers'. Yakko got out of the closet, having changed into a purple onesie. Wakko went in next and changed into a blue onesie, but still kept his hat on. Finally, Dot put on a pink nightgown and had hair curlers in her ears. They yawned and tucked themselves into their beds, tired from their journey to the Underground.

"Goodnight sibs," said Yakko.

"Goodnight, brother sib," said Wakko.

"Night, Yakko," said Dot.


	3. Exploring the Ruins

The next morning, Toriel woke up early to make breakfast for her guests. She was preparing some food when someone snuck up behind her.

"Mornin', Tori!"

Toriel yelped, clutched her chest, and turned around to see Yakko smugly smiling at her. She calmed down and sighed.

"Yakko, you gave me a fright."

He patted her back twice.

"Try to get used to it. Anyway, what's cookin'?"

"I am making pancakes for you and your brother and sister, my child. Oh, you do not have any allergies, do you?"

"I have a love/hate relationship with lactose, but other than that we're good."

"I see, thank you for telling me. But if you do not mind me asking, what are you doing up so early?"

"I usually make breakfast for my sibs."

"Oh? But do you not have any parents to do it for you?"

"We did, but..."

Toriel gasped, knowing what he was implying.

"I am so sorry! I did not-"

"Don't worry, it's fine. Anyway, you'll need help makin' the pancakes; Wakko's got a black hole for a stomach!"

Toriel laughed.

"Very well, you may help me."

Together, they finished the pancakes. When Wakko and Dot woke up to the amazing smell, they saw Yakko and Toriel setting the table and preparing the food.

"Mornin', sibs! Toriel and I made ya some pancakes!"

He put three for Dot, two for Toriel, four for himself, and ten for Wakko. Then they ate. Wakko completely devoured his pancakes, letting out a loud belch shortly afterwards. Dot wrinkled her nose in disgust while Yakko laughed.

"Never gets old."

When they finished their breakfast, Toriel sat down in her chair. She looked at the bookshelf, in the mood for reading a book, but chose not to as she had company.

"My children," she said, giving the Warners her undivided attention, "please tell me...what exactly _are_ you?"

"No one really knows," said Yakko, making a mysterious hand gesture. "For all we know, Wakko could be a dog, Dot could be a cat, and I could be a bunny! But what we _do_ know is that we're toons."

"Toons?" said Toriel, confused.

"Yeah, as in cartoons!" said Dot.

"What's a...cartoon?"

The Warners gasped.

"Ya don't know what a cartoon is?" said Wakko.

Toriel shook her head.

"They're drawings that come to life," said Yakko.

"Oh," said Toriel. "No wonder you look so strange!"

"Zany to the max!" said Dot.

After that, they proceeded to tell her their story. They told her everything, from the day they were created, to when they were locked up in the tower, to their great escape. They told her about each and every one of their adventures. Toriel, finding them interesting, listened closely and tried to remember as much as possible. It took a few hours, but they pulled her through and even explained their abilities to help her understand their logic better.

"Oh my!" said Toriel. "You three must have done everything!"

"Well now we wouldn't say _that_ ," said Yakko, "but we've done a lot. But enough about us, what about you?"

"Yeah!" said Dot. "A friend of ours once told us monsters tend to live the most _interesting_ lives!"

"You want to know more about me? Well, I am afraid there is not much to say. I am just a silly little lady who worries too much!"

"A modest one too," said Wakko.

Toriel checked the time; they had spent the entire morning away. She came up with an idea for the Warners.

"I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while. Please remain here. It is dangerous to explore by yourselves."

Yakko didn't bother to argue.

"We'll be fine, Toriel."

"I have an idea. Do you happen to have any cell phones upon you?"

The Warners took out their cell phones.

"Gotcha covered!" said Dot.

"Good! If you need anything, just call. Here is my number..."

She put her number in the Warners' contacts.

"Be good, alright?"

She left through the main door. After fifteen minutes, however, the Warners got bored.

"Well," said Yakko, "time to explore the Ruins."

"But what if Toriel sees us?" said Wakko.

"That's why we're using the back door, Wakko."

"Oh...got it!"

The Warners headed out through the door, walked down the hallway, reached the pillar, and moved on to the next room. Almost immediately, Wakko's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Wakko. This is Toriel. You have not left the room, have you?"

Wakko panicked.

"Uh..."

He turned to his siblings for help. Yakko acted fast and took the phone.

"Nah, we're in the main room, right where ya left us."

He talked to her much more smugly than usual, then gave a thumbs-up to Wakko as if to say "gotcha covered". Toriel sighed with relief.

"Oh, good. The reason is because there are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous to try and solve them yourselves."

Dot rolled her eyes. Did Toriel find _everything_ dangerous for them?

"Be good, alright?"

As she hung up, they continued forward and ran into a frog-like creature with an extra face between its legs; it was a froggit. Life must be difficult for it.

"Excuse me, humanfolk. I have some advice for you about battling monsters."

"Shoot," said Yakko.

"If you act a certain way or fight until you almost defeat them..."

It paused for a moment.

"They might not want to battle you anymore. If a monster does not want to fight you, please..."

"Spare them?" said Wakko, finishing the froggit's sentence.

"Yes. Use some mercy, humanfolk."

"Will do," said Dot.

They strayed off the path to see what was in the room next to the froggit. Inside was a grey pillar with candy on it, surrounded by a square of rose petals. A sign was on it.

" _Take one_ ," Yakko read. "Don't mind if I do!"

They each took a piece of Monster Candy, which had a distinct, non-licorice flavor, and exited, returning to the path ahead of them. On their sides lay piles of red leaves. They jumped in them and found another yellow star. Playfully crinkling through the leaves filled them with determination. Suddenly, they were pulled to the side and their souls activated as they found themselves surrounded by the boundary box again. An encounter was initiated as a whimsun, which looked like a giant bug, approached meekly. It was too sensitive to fight.

"I'm sorry...I have no choice...forgive me..."

Wakko reached his hand out slowly for the whimsun in an effort to console it. But halfway through his first word, the whimsun burst into tears and ran away.

"Poor little guy..." said Yakko, shaking his head.

Their souls deactivated as they kept moving forward. They approached their first puzzle, which consisted of a somewhat weak-looking floor.

"This doesn't look too bad," said Dot.

All they had to do was walk across, but it didn't make sense why there were two large holes in the purple brick wall. Yakko walked forward, but the ground suddenly gave away beneath him. He screamed as he fell down and landed on a pile of red leaves.

"Yakko!" Wakko shouted.

He knelt in front of the hole with Dot, unable to see their brother.

"You ok?" said Dot.

"Yeah!" Yakko called back.

"Don't worry," said Wakko, "we're gonna get ya out!"

Wakko dug through his Gag Bag, trying to find something to help Yakko. Looking up, Yakko noticed the gap was far too large for them to pull him out on their own. He saw two door-shaped holes, which were designed to look similar to the holes on the wall by Wakko and Dot. Realizing what it meant, he jumped through the second hole and teleported to the other side. He hopped out and landed on his feet. Wakko put his Gag Bag away, not needing to help Yakko anymore.

"How'd ya get out?" said Dot.

"Ya gotta fall through the floor," said Yakko. "There's a door down there that'll take ya here."

Wakko and Dot followed their brother's instructions and made it to his side. Toriel called again as they moved on.

"Hello, Wakko. This is Toriel. For no reason in particular...which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?"

"Both!" he shouted enthusiastically.

"And Yakko and Dot?"

"I like cinnamon," said Yakko, "but Dot prefers butterscotch."

"Oh, I see. thank you very much!"

She hung up, but quickly called again, this time reaching out for Dot.

"Yeah?" said Dot, answering her phone.

"You do not dislike cinnamon, do you? And Yakko does not dislike butterscotch, does he? I know what your preferences are, but...would you turn up your noses if you found them on your plates?"

"Nah," said Yakko. "But Dot's pretty picky."

"No, I'm not!" said Dot, giving Yakko a shove.

"Right, right, I understand," said Toriel. "Thank you for being patient, by the way."

After hanging up, the Warners waited five seconds. Since she didn't call back, they examined the room. There was a rock, a floor switch, a row of spikes blocking the way, and a sign on the wall.

" _Three out of four grey rocks recommend you push them_ ," Dot read, wondering if Toriel put up all those signs.

Shrugging, she pushed the first rock onto the switch. This caused the row of spikes to lower, allowing them to move on. For the next puzzle, the entire ground was weak-looking and possibly cracked. Wakko, taking the first step, fell down almost immediately. He screamed as he fell, landing on a pile of red leaves.

"Where'd he go?" said Dot.

Examining the room, Wakko found out that the leaves were scattered in a particular pattern. He looked at the sign on the wall, which said "Please don't step on the leaves". He located the portal and made it back to his siblings.

"There you are!" said Yakko. "Found out how to solve the puzzle?"

"Yup!" said Wakko. "Follow me!"

He guided them through the puzzle, but made sure they didn't read the sign on the wall, thinking they would fall through and start over again. Making it to the next room, another encounter was initiated. Froggit and Whimsun drew near. Dot decided to handle it and touched Froggit.

"Smooth skin," she complimented.

Froggit didn't understand what she said, but was flattered anyway and blushed deeply. Wakko tried to console Whimsun again, but it burst into tears and ran away once more.

"Whimsun really needs to see a p-psychiatrist," he muttered.

Froggit attacked, jumping at them. But the Warners weren't intimidated by its raw strength and ducked. Froggit seemed reluctant to fight them, so it hopped away, allowing the Warners to spare it. It also left behind two pieces of gold. Wakko took the gold and put it in his Gag Bag.

Once the encounter was over, Dot found three more rocks in front of floor-switches and a row of spikes over a bridge. She pushed the first two onto their switches, but got a surprise when the third rock refused.

"WHOA there, pardner!"

Dot jumped back, not expecting the rock to talk to her.

"Who said you could push me around?"

Dot cleared her throat and used her cuteness on the rock.

"Excuse me, Mr. Rock, but can ya move over a little?"

She made puppy-dog eyes at him, but held back a pout.

"Hmm? So you're _askin'_ me to move over? Okay, just for you, pumpkin."

"Thanks."

She smiled, but the rock didn't move far enough. Leaning in, she whispered.

"Hey, uh, can ya move over a little more?"

"Hmm? You want me to move some more? Alrighty, how's this?"

He moved to his left, earning a chuckle from Wakko. This was much more frustrating than Dot thought it would be.

"Wrong direction, hon."

"Okay, think I got it."

He moved over to the switch, removing the spikes.

"Ah, there we go."

They moved on, but the spikes reappeared. Dot turned around and saw that the rock moved out of place.

"Any chance you can _stay_ there?!" said Dot, losing her patience.

"Hmm? You wanted me to _stay_ there? You're giving me a real workout."

Nonetheless, he did what he was told. Right after crossing, the Warners came across a room where a mouse hole and a table of cheese were located next to another star. The cheese had been there for so long that it was stuck to the table. Wakko looked through the mouse hole, causing the mouse inside to greet him with a squeak. Knowing the mouse might one day leave its hole and get the cheese...it filled them with determination.


	4. Making Friends

In the next room, they came across a ghost named Napstablook, who appeared to be sleeping on a pile of red leaves and blocking the way. He snored loudly.

"are they gone yet" he whispered.

Unfortunately, the Warners heard him as he pretended to sleep and repeatedly said "z" out loud.

"Hey," said Yakko, tapping Napstablook's shoulder.

Napstablook rose up from the pile of leaves and initiated an encounter, pulling the Warners closer to him when they took a step back. Wakko gave him a patient smile as the ghost stared into the distance, wishing he wasn't there. He didn't seem to have a sense of humor...or did he?

"oh, i'm REAL funny."

 _Uh...ok then._ Wakko tried to remove more of the tension between them.

"Can ya move out of the way?" he asked.

"heh... _REALLY NOT FEELIN UP TO IT RIGHT NOW. SORRY._ "

He started to cry. As the tears rolled into the boundary box, the Warners tried to dodge. Yakko got hit on his shoulder by one of the tears, grabbing it as he lost a little bit of health. Despite saying he felt down, Napstablook was feeling a little better through Wakko's intentions. Yakko, trying to lighten the mood, told him a joke.

"Hey Napstablook," he started, "why'd the ghost buy an elevator?"

There was a short pause.

"To lift his spirits!"

Wakko played the drums to accompany his brother's joke.

"heh heh..." Napstablook chuckled, his mood having been improved ever so slightly. He wanted to show them something.

"let me try..."

He cried again, but gravity reversed its direction on his tears. Together, they turned into a hat.

"i call it 'dapper blook'. do you like it..."

"Cool!" said Yakko, impressed.

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"Fits ya well," said Dot.

"oh gee..." said Napstablook, a little embarrassed.

He ended the encounter.

"i usually come to the Ruins because there's nobody around...but today i met somebody nice..."

There was a momentary pause.

"Oh, i'm rambling again i'll get out of your way"

He disappeared into thin air.

"Bye, Napstablook!" said Wakko, waving and sticking his tongue out as he smiled.

They found themselves at crossroads again. Deciding to go forward instead of right, they found a small room with two large spiderwebs and a sign planted into the ground.

" _Spider Bake Sale_ ," Yakko read. " _All proceeds go to real spiders_."

Wakko and Dot went to the small and the big web, which sold spider donuts and spider cider respectfully. The spider donut cost seven pieces of gold and the spider cider cost eighteen. Wakko took out seven pieces of gold from his Gag Bag and left them in the web; some spiders crawled down and gave him a donut. Dot put her share into the bigger web and more spiders crawled down, giving her a jar of cider. Wakko ate the donut, then put the jar of cider in the Gag Bag as they continued back on the path Another long hallway awaited them, with three froggits and a sign planted in the ground talking about the bake sale. The Warners stopped to talk with each of the froggits. The first froggit, who was approached by Dot, sighed.

"My friend never listens to me. Whenever I talk, they skip through my words by pressing [X]. That's right...Pressing [X]...Well, at least you listen to me."

"I kinda have to, I don't have a keyboard."

The second froggit was approached by Wakko.

"I heard using 'F4' can make you have a 'full screen.'"

"Really?"

The froggit nodded.

"But what does 'F4' stand for? 'Four frogs'? I have only seen a maximum of three frogs in this room...This is troubling, to say the least."

Wakko shrugged and walked to the wall. Looking through a tiny hole, he saw an ant-shaped froggit waving at him. He waved back.

"I have heard you are quite merciful, for a humanfolk," said the third froggit.

"That's just because nobody down here's 'special friend' material," said Yakko. "Nothin' special."

"Surely you know by now a monster wears a yellow name when you can spare it."

"Yeah, yeah, sure."

"What do you think of that?"

" _Very_ helpful."

The froggit didn't seem to catch Yakko's sarcasm.

"It is rather helpful. Remember, sparing is just saying you won't fight. Maybe one day, you'll have to do it even if their name isn't yellow."

Yakko shrugged it off, as some of the mechanics were not visible to him or his siblings. As they continued down the path, Wakko's phone rang.

"Yes, Toriel?"

"I wanted to let you know that there are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need. Someday you might see something you really like. You will want to leave room in your pockets for that."

"Ok!"

Right after she hung up, a pair of lime green Moldsmals appeared. They looked like blobs of jell-o and were pretty stereotypical: curvaceously attractive, but no brains. Yakko put one hand behind his head and the other on his side, then wiggled his hips flirtaciously.

"Hellooooo Moldsmal nurses!"

They wiggled back. What a meaningful conversation! Wakko, on the other hand, decided to lie immobile with one of the Moldsmals.

"Whoa...I feel like I understand the world a little better now!"

The Moldsmals attacked, Wakko getting hit three times. Then they left them alone, each one leaving a piece of gold. In the next room, there was a sign next to a portal. Six spots on the floor were considerably weak.

" _There is just one switch_ ," Dot read. "Looks like we gotta fall down."

Wakko went to the first unstable ground on his left. He landed on another pile of red leaves. There was no switch, but he found a carrot in the ground. He tried to pull it out, but initiated another encounter. A vegetoid came out of the earth. Serving Size: 1 Monster. Not monitored by the USDA.

"Part Of A Complete Breakfast"

It shot multiple vegetables at Wakko; he got hit once. Feeling hungry, he patted his stomach and was about to speak, but the vegetoid was already willing to offer a healthy meal.

"Eat Your Greens"

It shot carrot-like bullets straight towards Wakko, but he noticed some of them were green. He ate them and recovered. Seeing its job was done, the vegetoid disappeared and left behind four gold. Wakko put the gold in his Gag Bag and was teleported back to the top.

Dot, however, fell down through the first unstable ground on her right. She didn't find any switches, but spotted a faded ribbon. She took the ribbon and returned. Wakko looked at her, confused.

"What? I won't get hit as hard if I look cuter!"

Meanwhile, Yakko fell down next to Wakko. There, he found the switch. Pressing it, he solved the puzzle and went back up to his siblings.

"Found the switch! Nice bow, Dot."

"It's a ribbon."

As they tried to go to the next room, a loox drew near.

"Please don't pick on me..."

"Don't worry," said Yakko, "we're not gonna pick on ya."

"Finally someone gets it."

He left them in peace and gave them five pieces of gold. They entered the next room where there were three pillars next to three switches, blue, red, and green, along with a sign on the wall.

" _The far door is not an exit_ ," Yakko read. " _It simply marks a rotation in perspective_ _._ Well, time to bring in the big guns. This puzzle just might be our greatest challenge yet!"

They walked to the next room, which was already opened for them.

"It's the same room..." said Dot.

Indeed it was...or so they thought. As they walked around, Wakko read the sign on the wall.

" _If you can read this, press the blue switch._ "

"Found it!" said Dot, who ran back to the entrance and pressed the switch. It triggered a clicking sound and removed the spikes ahead of them.

"Not bad, sister sib!"

They headed off, Yakko reading the next sign.

" _If you can read this, press the red switch._ "

Wakko ran up to the farthest pillar and pressed the red switch, getting the same reaction when Dot pressed the blue one.

"Let me guess," said Dot, "the next one's gonna tell us to press the green switch."

She looked at the sign, which proved her hunch to be correct.

"Why am I not surprised?" she asked, filled with sarcasm.

"Are we running around in circles?" said Wakko. "'Cause I'm gettin' dizzy!"

Another encounter was initiated, this time by another vegetoid and Migosp, a bug-like creature who seemed evil but was just with the wrong crowd.

"Farmed Locally," said the vegetoid, "Very Locally"

The Warners tried to dodge the vegetoid's attacks, but Dot's left ear got stabbed by a carrot bullet. Yakko also ran into a small bug bullet from Migosp. Wakko, remembering what to do, patted his stomach.

"Eat Your Greens"

There were two green attacks, which Yakko and Dot grabbed. It healed them as the vegetoid left behind four pieces of gold.

"Nothin' like alone time!" said Migosp, who was happy and did a little dance.

"Mmm, cha cha cha!"

Migosp didn't have a care in the world, so they spared him. He left behind four more pieces of gold.

"We're hittin' the jackpot, sibs!" said Yakko. "We're rich!"

He hit the green switch, triggering yet again the same response. As they left the room, they found some vines on the ground and a pile of red leaves on their left, shaped like a cross. They could decide whether to go forward or left. Thinking about it, they decided to go forward and ran into another froggit.

"Hey, froggit!" said Yakko. "How ya doin'?"

"Just between you and me...I saw Toriel come out of here just a little while ago. She was carrying some groceries."

"No wonder she asked about cinnamon and butterscotch," said Dot.

"I didn't ask what they were for..." said the froggit. "We're all too intimidated to talk to her."

"Ya got nothin' to worry about," Wakko reassured. "She's very nice."

Walking into the next room, they found themselves on a balcony, looking out at some sort of city.

"Now how about that?" said Yakko, looking at the view in front of him and his siblings.

He looked to the left, where a small toy knife lay on the ground. He picked it up and examined it: made of plastic, a rarity nowadays. Although he found no use for it, he put it in his belt for decorative purposes. He also put the stick in there too. Wakko and Dot gave each other confused looks, then shrugged. They exited the room and took the other path, standing in front of a large tree with its leaves fallen to the stump.

"Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would."

The Warners couldn't believe Toriel beat them to the house. She walked around the tree and picked up her cell phone, calling Yakko, but realized the children were already in front of her and hung up, approaching them.

"How did you get here, my children?"

"We got bored," said Dot, "so we solved all your puzzles."

"Are you hurt?" said Toriel, examining them. "Not a scratch..."

"Impressive, isn't it?" said Yakko.

"Yes! But still...I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this."

"Huh?" said Wakko.

Toriel quickly realized her mistake.

"Err..."

She blushed a little, embarrassed by her slip-up.

"Well, I supposed I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small ones!"

The Warners almost followed her through the front door, which she held open for them, but they stopped in front of another star before walking inside. Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the Ruins gave them determination.


	5. Home?

"Do you smell that?" Toriel asked. "Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrivals."

The Warners cheered, especially Wakko.

"I want you three to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off snail pie for tonight."

"Diiiiisgusting," Dot muttered.

"Is something burning...?"

Toriel realized she may have left the pie in the oven for a little too long.

"Um, make yourselves at home!"

She ran off, faster than she did the previous day. Now that she was gone, the Warners were able to finally explore the rest of the house. They went into the room next to their own, which was Toriel's. It was painted blue, despite a pot of two golden flowers being on top of a bookshelf. The nearest object to them was just a regular old bucket...of snails. Next to that was a desk.

"Oh," said Dot, "it's her diary. Let's read it!"

She read the circled passage.

" _Why did the skeleton want a friend? Because she was feeling BONELY!_ "

Wakko played the drums to accompany the joke, then chuckled with his siblings. The rest of the diary was filled with puns, but most of them had to do with skeletons for whatever reason. After reading them all, they checked out the bed.

"Definitely bigger than a twin-sized bed," Wakko stated.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious."

Dot nudged his rib cage, making him giggle. Then she took out a random book from the bookshelf. It was an encyclopedia of subterranean plants; she opened it to the middle.

" _'Typha' - A group of wetland flowering plants with brown, oblong seedpods. Known more commonly as 'water sausages.'_ "

Dot turned around and saw the plant in the corner, but it wasn't a water sausage. Instead, it was a cactus, the most tsundere of plants. Meanwhile, Yakko peeked inside Toriel's drawer and gasped.

"Scandalous!" he shouted.

"Don't get too horny," said Dot, "she's _way_ outta your league!"

"Relax, it's just her sock drawer."

Dot rolled her eyes as he smirked at her.

"Boys," she simply stated.

They left the room to see the next one. The sign on the door said 'Room under renovations'. Next to it was a drawer with a flower on it. Inside were flower seeds and some broken crayons.

"Hmmmm," said Yakko, deep in thought.

There was something strange about this. Different sized shoes, a disparity of toys, and now broken crayons...she must've had kids of her own. But where were they now? He stopped thinking about it as they approached a mirror next to the water sausage in the corner of the hallway and saw their reflections.

"It's us!" said Yakko.

"Yakko?" Toriel called out. "Wakko? Dot? Dinner is ready!"

They rushed to the table and ate dinner, which consisted of more than just butterscotch-cinnamon pie. There was a distinct kind of food on the table, which almost resembled BBQ ribs. Dessert, of course, was a slice of pie for each sibling. It took Toriel a while to convince Wakko not to eat the rest of the pie, but she was mainly successful due to Yakko and Dot pinning him down.

"Welp," said Dot once the commotion was over, "I'm off to take a shower."

"Count me in," said Yakko.

"Me too!" said Wakko.

Toriel smiled as the Warners ran off and laughed. They came out after less than twenty minutes, in their pjs with fur all dried.

"Oh, my!" she exclaimed. "You are filled with knots! Come, I will brush them out."

She put them on their beds, then took out a comb. Choosing to work with Dot first, she found it surprisingly soothing and comfortable. She managed to stay awake as Toriel let her know she was finished.

"Thanks, Toriel."

Yakko was next. The same impact happened, except that it didn't affect Yakko as much. He was able to keep himself awake as memories of his mom flooded his mind, finding that Toriel bore a resemblance to her, though not just because she was being motherly. Their personalities were pretty much the same, yet Queen Angelina was more playful than Toriel seemed to let on.

"Thanks, Tori."

Finally, it was Wakko's turn. His tongue stuck out as he smiled and found himself half-asleep, being affected the most.

"Thanks, Goat Mom."

"Huh?" said Toriel, dropping the comb in shock. "Did you just call me...'mom'?"

"Yeah..." said Wakko, too unaware to notice what he said may have thrown her off a little.

"Well...I suppose..."

"You're takin' it pretty well," said Yakko, noticing she was rather touched by Wakko's nickname for her.

"Would that make you happy? To call me...'Mother?'"

Wakko nodded.

"Besides," said Yakko, "ya remind us of her."

"Well then, call me whatever you like!"

She tucked the Warners into bed, despite their insistence that they didn't need it.

"Good night, Warners."

She left the room, the Warners falling fast asleep within a second as she closed the door.

* * *

For the next few days, the Warners enjoyed spending time with Toriel. Unlike other "nice" people they've known like Prunella Flundergeist, she was believably sweet and didn't get to the point where it sounded overly-cheesy and false. They also got to help her get more of her playful side out. With it shining through, the full resemblance to their mother was uncanny. But soon, however, they got bored. Toriel often replaced the puzzles to keep the Warners busy, but they grew tired of the limited space. They read all her books, explored every nook and cranny in the ruins, the pie was finished, and they felt like there was nothing new, yet grew suspicious about Toriel constantly keeping them away from the stairs for whatever reason. Finally, when a week passed, Wakko had a nightmare. Standing in a cold purple room, Toriel had her back facing towards him.

"You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like the others."

Wakko was in a confused state and wondered why Yakko and Dot weren't by his side.

"Goat Mom...?"

"There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself..."

Wakko tensed up.

"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

"Wha-?!"

The lights went dark and an encounter was initiated as Toriel blocked the way. As she shot fireballs at him to avoid, he tried his best not to hurt her. But believing she couldn't be spared after a few turns had passed, he forced himself to take out his mallet. He hit her right by the rib cage, making her collapse. Toriel knelt as she grabbed the scar and moaned in pain.

"Urgh..."

Wakko stood there in shock at what he had done.

"Toriel!" he shouted, running towards her.

He put his hand on the area where she was mortally wounded, panicking.

"You are stronger than I thought..." she muttered.

"I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to do that!"

He tried to reach for his first aid kit, but it was no use.

"Listen to me, small one..."

Wakko was horrified. Nothing was healing her.

"If you keep going beyond this door, keep walking as far as you can. Eventually you will reach an exit."

She paused momentarily as her breathing became heavy and her voice faltered.

"ASGORE _...do not let ASGORE take your soul. His plan cannot be allowed to succeed._ "

Wakko hugged Toriel, holding her closer to him than ever as he shed a few tears, trying to stay strong. Why was he so attached to her? He didn't know, but he felt as if she was an old friend...and now she was dying. Because of him.

" _Be good, won't you? M y c h i l d. . ."_

After her last words, her body turned to dust, but her white monster soul merely trembled. after a few seconds, it split in half and shattered into pieces as Wakko finally cried. Everything went pitch black, but a voice he didn't recognize was calling from the distance and brought him out of his grieving.

"Please..."

"Who's there?" Wakko called, rubbing the tears away.

He lifted his head, but couldn't see anyone.

"Wake up! You are the future of humans and monsters..."

He woke up in his bed. No, the bed Toriel provided for him. He panted, waking up his siblings.

"Wakko," said Yakko, groggy from the wake-up call, "it's the middle of the night."

He rubbed his eyes, but became concerned when he saw Wakko was filled with fear. He walked over to his brother.

"What's wrong?"

Wakko explained everything, then buried his face into Yakko's chest fur and whimpered. Yakko hugged Wakko and patted his back.

"There, there. It's ok, Wakko. It's just a bad dream."

He soothed Wakko, who stopped whimpering after a while.

"Better?" said Yakko.

He nodded as Dot woke up.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothin', he just had a nightmare. Go back to sleep before Toriel hears us."

* * *

The next morning, the Warners had enough. It was time for them to leave, yet they were worried on how Toriel would react. Would she understand, or would she behave like she did in Wakko's nightmare?

"Up already, I see?" said Toriel, who sat in her chair with a book and her reading glasses.

Normally she would have made the Warners breakfast, but they already ate some monster candy before joining her. Turns out it _did_ taste like licorice.

"Um," she continued, "I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here. You have read my books, solved my puzzles, and enjoyed my company."

"Aw," said Yakko, "don't mention it."

"I would have prepared a curriculum for your education, but I do not think you will need it. After all, you outsmarted your teacher, did you not?"

"Yeah!" said Wakko.

"This may come as a surprise to you...but I have always wanted to be a teacher...actually, perhaps that isn't very surprising. STILL."

She scrunched up her face momentarily.

"I am glad to have you living here."

The Warners wished she would stop talking. All her gushing was making them feel bad for what they decided. Toriel probably wouldn't take it well, and they weren't comfortable with hurting her feelings. After all, she did nothing wrong. Regardless of their concerns, they had to keep going. They couldn't live in a confined place like the Ruins. Luckily, Toriel stopped.

"Oh, did you want something?"

"Yeah," said Yakko, deciding to be the one to pop the question and trying to be as nice as possible. "When can we go home?"

"What? This...this IS your home now."

"That escalated quickly," Wakko murmured, wanting to hide in his shirt.

"Um...would you like to hear about this book I am reading? It is called '72 Uses for Snails.' How about it?"

"Sure," said Dot.

"Here's an exciting snail fact. Did you know that snails sometimes flip their digestive systems as they mature?"

Wakko made a gookie and Yakko and Dot felt like throwing up.

"I didn't need to know that," said Yakko, clutching his stomach.

"Interesting," said Dot. "But does that book tell us how to leave the Ruins?"

"...I have to do something. Stay here."

She left, making the Warners feel very uncomfortable. They gave each other worried glances, not knowing what was going to happen next.


	6. Heartache

In search for Toriel, the Warners couldn't find her in the hallway or any of the other rooms. So they finally went downstairs.

"Let's see what she's hiding from us," said Yakko.

They walked down the purple, dusty hallway. There, they found Toriel, who refused to look at them.

"You wish to know how to return 'home,' do you not? Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the underground. I am going to destroy it."

They gasped. Toriel wasn't gonna let them go so easily. But why didn't she trust them enough to be on their own?

"Goat Mom, ya can't!" said Dot.

"Oh, yes I can. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be good children and go upstairs."

She walked forward. This was much more serious than their years of confinement in the tower. After so many different attempts to break out, they finally escaped, but with Toriel getting rid of literally their only way out, they would be trapped with her forever. Their lives would most likely be devoid of zaniness and replaced with eternal boredom. Didn't she understand that?

"Why are ya doin' this?" said Yakko.

"Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave."

She paused, her voice breaking with grief.

"They die."

The Warners exchanged worried glances.

"You naive children...If you leave the Ruins...They...ASGORE...Will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand?"

The name rung a bell; the Warners found enough information in Toriel's books to figure out he was the king of the Underground.

"But we're toons, remember?" said Yakko. "We can't die that easily."

"I remember what you told me. But you also told me your greatest weakness: a toon cannot die unless inflicted by a serious injury. Asgore is serious enough to end your lives...go to your room."

Yakko opened his mouth to retaliate even more, but Toriel cut him off.

"Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning."

"We gotta stop her," Dot whispered.

"I have a really bad feeling about this..." said Wakko, remembering his nightmare.

They followed Toriel to the door.

"You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself..."

Wakko's eyes widened. It was the exact same thing she said in his nightmare.

"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive!"

Wakko gasped and clinged onto his brother's arm.

"...wait."

Toriel took notice of Wakko. According to Yakko, he had the same face from when he woke up from the nightmare she didn't know about.

"...why are you looking at me like that? Like you have seen a ghost. Do you know something that I do not? No...That is impossible."

The lights dimmed as the encounter was initiated. Wakko hoped he'd be able to talk his way through the fight, but he couldn't think of any conversation topics. He thought about telling Toriel he saw her die, but that would be creepy. Toriel saw through him as she shot out a group of fireballs from her hand. The Warners found a safe spot and stood there until they finished swerving and cleared.

"I don't wanna fight her," Wakko told his siblings, yet looking at Toriel.

"Me neither," said Yakko.

Dot merely shook her head. Despite being attacked by the goat woman, they couldn't use it as an excuse to hurt her. After all, it was just a misguided attempt at protecting them. Toriel looked away and started acting aloof.

"What are you doing? Attack or run away!"

She made a row of fireballs appear, aiming them at the Warners. Yakko tried to use his mallet to whack away the fireballs, but they passed through it and hit his shoulder, proving Toriel right about what she said when they first met.

"Ow!"

He found the next attacks much harder to dodge.

"We don't wanna fight!" said Wakko.

"What are you proving this way? Fight me or leave!"

She repeated the same move, cornering Dot. She yelped in pain, the fur on the back of her head being slightly singed.

"Stop it."

" _You_ stop it!" said Yakko. "We can't hurt you, ok? We just _can't_!"

"Stop looking at me that way."

Having enough of it, Toriel let out one more powerful fireball attack. It was so powerful that the Warners' health dropped low. Their furs were noticeably ruffled and singed, and their breathing became heavy. Dot had a burn mark across her cheek, Wakko leaned onto the wall, and Yakko collapsed, having holes in his pants. For once, they finally realized what kind of danger they were putting themselves into if they left the Ruins. Nonetheless, they couldn't stay any longer. Toriel, shocked by the damage she caused, refused to hurt them again.

"I know you want to go home, but...But please...Go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you here. I know we do not have much, but...We can have a good life here. Why are you making this so difficult? Please, go upstairs."

Yakko struggled, but he managed to get on his feet.

"Listen, Toriel. It's nothin' against ya, but we can't stay here. If we do, we'll be bored! We'll go nuts! We gotta live in a place where we feel free! Don't you get that?"

Toriel smiled sadly.

"Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child."

Yakko felt sorry for her.

"Tori..."

She sighed as her smile faded.

"No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here. The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations...My loneliness...My fear...For you, my children...I will put them aside."

A small smile reappeared across her face as she let them go and the boundary box disappeared.

"Oof!" said Dot as she hit the ground.

Wakko let out a sigh of relief, happy that he avoided killing Toriel.

"If you truly wish to leave the Ruins...I will not stop you. However, when you leave...Please do not come back."

"Ya mean...you're not comin' with us?" said Wakko.

"I belong in the Ruins, Wakko; this is my home. I hope you understand. But do not worry about me. Someone has to take care of the flowers."

She hugged the Warners, healing them with her magic. When she let go, the Warners' health returned to normal and their clothes were restored.

"Goodbye, my children."

She turned around and left, but stopped to watch the Warners go through the door. They walked down a hallway, which changed from dark to lighter and lighter shades of purple.

"That was close," said Yakko. "See, Wakko? We didn't have to kill her."

Yet something deep inside of him made him worry as they walked down what felt like the longest hallway. Down there, they couldn't bend the rules of logic that easily. What if he ended up losing his siblings in a battle like that? What if he actually had to kill somebody to survive and get out of the Underground? He looked at the toy knife in his belt and had a particularly terrifying thought: would he have killed Toriel if she killed his siblings? He snapped out of his thoughts as Flowey appeared in front of him.

"Clever. Verrrryyy clever."

Yakko tensed up, feeling very uncomfortable. If it wasn't for Toriel, all three of them would've been dead at the hands...or stem...of Flowey. He thought he'd never see him again after first falling down.

"What?" said Wakko.

"You think you're really smart, don't you? In this world, it's kill or be killed. So you were able to play by your own rules."

"We _make_ the rules," said Dot. "It's always been that way, hon."

"Not anymo-"

"Ah, shaddap!"

Unable to stand Flowey's talking any longer, Yakko threw his mallet at Flowey, making him retreat back into the dirt. It bounced off his face and returned to Yakko's hand like a boomerang.

"Come on, sibs. Let's go."

They continued onwards, finding a gate that led to the rest of the Underground. Leaving the Ruins, the real adventure began. And they were determined to survive.


	7. Spooky Scary Skele-fonts

Out of the Ruins, the Warners found themselves in a snow-covered forest. Finding it cold, they took out their winter attire; Yakko and Wakko pulled out their scarves while Dot put her poncho on. Turning back at this point was not an option, though it wasn't as if they were gonna do it anyway, so they continued walking straight ahead. They stopped after a few seconds upon finding a tough-looking branch, too heavy to pick up, with a note on it. Yakko opened it up; all three of them read the note at their own pace.

_You didn't let me finish. As I was saying, you spared the life of a single person. Hee hee hee...I bet you feel really great._

As a matter of fact, they did.

_You didn't kill anybody this time. But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer? You'll die and you'll die and you'll die. Until you tire of trying. What will you do then? Will you kill out of frustration? Or will you give up entirely on this world...and let ME inherit the power to control it?_

They'd find a way to do neither, but it wouldn't be easy. After all, escaping death while finding the Wishing Star wasn't so easy, was it? But all they had to do was stay determined. How could it be any different in the Underground?

_I am the prince of this world's future. Don't worry, my little monarchs, my plan isn't regicide. This is SO much more interesting._

_-Flowey_

_P.S. I'm watching you._

Yakko groaned, his worries flooding back. He wondered why he was worrying so much, as it wasn't normal for him to be like that. Maybe the environment was messing with his zaniness...eventually he'd stop worrying. He just didn't know when.

"Oh, great. We're being stalked by a flower."

"Well, at least he's not gonna come after us, right?" said Wakko.

"I hope so," said Dot. "I've had it up to _here_ with his 'kill or be killed' philosophy."

Yakko put the note in his pants, hoping to get rid of it soon, then walked forward with Dot on his right and Wakko on his left. However, after taking a few steps, they heard a loud _snap_. The branch was split in half.

"Keep walking," said Yakko, holding Wakko and Dot's hands.

They sped up the pace a little, hoping they wouldn't get attacked again. Was Flowey following them? Wakko glanced behind him for a split second and saw a shadow in the woods, but it looked nothing like him.

"We're being followed!" he whispered.

"Stay close," said Yakko, literally holding them by his sides.

Ahead of them, they saw a gate on a bridge. Maybe they could squeeze through the bars and lose whoever was following them. Yet again, they could always use their mallets if the shadow got too close...unless it was an encounter; they didn't want to take the risk of killing anyone. But right before they could reach the gate, the person beat them to it, appeared right behind them, and spoke. The voice was male and didn't sound particularly friendly.

" **Humanfolk. Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand.** "

The Warners exchanged glances, knowing what to do. They turned around and saw the mysterious man standing in front of Yakko. That meant that if anything happened to him, Wakko and Dot would have his back. Upon examination, the figure was slightly taller than Wakko, but shorter than Yakko. Instead of attacking, he extended his arm. Yakko took it, hearing a weird _ppppppffffffffftttttttttt_ sound shortly afterward. Dot gagged while Wakko rolled on his back laughing. Yakko laughed too, half out of relief. At that moment, he stopped worrying.

"Man, that's gross! Do it again."

The figure took off his hoodie to reveal a big-boned skeleton with a smile on his face.

"heheh...the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it's _always_ funny."

Lightening up, Yakko took this time to start a conversation.

"It's nice to see a fellow pranker around here. Gags are right up our alley! Puns too."

"cool. anyways, you're toons, right? that's hilarious."

"Then I guess we're doing our jobs right."

The skeleton chuckled.

"i'm sans. sans the skeleton."

"Nice to meet ya, Sans."

"We're the Warners Brothers!"

"And the Warner Sister!"

"I'm Yakko!"

"I'm Wakko!"

"And I'm Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bobesca the Third!"

"whoa...you got quite the mouthful of a name, kiddo."

"You can call me Dot. But call me 'Dottie' and ya die. Got it?"

Sans nodded.

"im actually supposed to be on watch for humans and humanfolk right now. but...y'know...i dont really care about capturing anybody."

"Then we'll get along just fine, Comic Sans!" said Wakko.

Sans laughed.

"good one. now my brother, papyrus..."

"Looks like we found ourselves a family of skelefonts," said Dot.

Yakko and Wakko nodded in agreement, liking the pun she made.

"...he's a human-hunting _fanatic_. hey, actually, i think that's him over there."

"He better know how to put up a good fight or he's toast," said Yakko, pulling out his mallet and spinning it in his hand.

Sans was impressed by their bravery, but also wanted to keep Papyrus out of harm's way.

"i have an idea. go through this gate thingy. yeah, go right through. my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone."

They walked right through the bars, proving Sans right. Maybe Papyrus wasn't smart enough to keep them out. Unfortunately, there wasn't much for them to hide in. The inconveniently-shaped lamp looked more like a human than any of the Warners.

"quick, find a place to hide."

Wakko took out his Gag Bag.

"Gotcha covered!"

He pulled it over himself and his siblings. They seemed to completely disappear under the bag, but of course, it was just an illusion. They stayed close to the ground, yet not completely lying down, and could feel angry footsteps stomping through the snow. That must've been Papyrus.

"sup, bro?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP', BROTHER!" Papyrus boomed. "IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T...RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES!"

The Warners snickered from under the Gag Bag, trying hard not to laugh at how much Papyrus contrasted Sans.

"Does Skeletor know somebody stole his voice?" said Yakko.

"YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!"

"staring at this bag. it's really cool. do you wanna look?"

"Wait," said Dot, "is he _trying_ to give us away?"

"NO!" Papyrus refused, getting crankier and stomping his foot on the ground. "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!"

This time, the Warners' snickers turned to giggles. They couldn't take Papyrus seriously.

"WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!? I WANT TO BE READY! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!"

"Too bad," said Wakko, "he's gettin' us instead."

"He should be lucky," said Dot.

It was a shame that they couldn't see Papyrus strike a pose as his cape flowed through the wind.

"THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS...WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE! RESPECT...RECOGNITION... I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, 'FRIEND?'"

At this point, the Warners started to pity the skeleton just a little.

"I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING!"

"Beat him to it," said Yakko.

Dot rolled her eyes.

"Ya know who to thank for _that_."

"Fangirls. What can I say?"

"Gotta love 'em," said Wakko.

"hmm...maybe this bag will help you."

"Now he's just being lazy," said Dot.

Papyrus threw another mini fit, which was much more intense than the first.

"SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING! YOU LAZYBONES! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!"

At this point, the Warners were laughing under the bag. Thankfully, Papyrus was too angry to hear them.

"hey, take it easy. i've gotten a _ton_ of work done today. a skele- _ton_."

A drums sound effect played as Sans turned to the readers and winked. The Warners' bodies uncontrollably did the noodle for a brief second.

"My 'breaking the fourth wall' senses are tingling," said Yakko.

"Mine too," said Wakko.

"Wasn't expecting that from a computer game," said Dot.

"SANS!"

"come on. you're smiling."

"I AM AND I HATE IT!"

He sighed.

"WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME...HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION..."

"wow, sounds like you're really working yourself..."

"Here we go again," said Dot.

"down to the bone."

This time, Wakko played the drums to accompany Sans' pun as he turned to the readers once more. The Warners' bodies repeated the same movement.

"Yep," said Yakko, "he's breaking the fourth wall."

"UGH! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES...AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE, 'BACKBONE' INTO IT!"

"He did _not_ just go there!" said Dot.

"Oh, yes he did!" said Yakko.

"NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" Papyrus laughed, walking away, but not before returning for one last "HEH!"

"ok, you can come out now."

There was no response from under the Gag Bag.

"uh, guys? hello- gah!"

He jumped back and grabbed his chest as the Warners jumped out of the bag.

"Aw, snap!" said Yakko. "Ya just got _boned_!"

Sans caught his breath.

"you oughta get going. he might come back. and if he does...you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."

He winked.

"What, those old things?" said Yakko. "They're so dumb only numbskulls use 'em!"

"Ohhhhhhh!" Wakko and Dot shouted, catching their brother as he jumped back.

Sans chuckled as they walked away. Wakko stopped to look at Sans' sentry-station, which for some reason had bottles of ketchup, mustard, and relish sitting inside...but no hot dogs.

"actually, hey..."

The Warners turned around and looked at Sans.

"Whaddya need?" said Yakko.

"hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?"

"Sure!" said Wakko.

"i was thinking...my brother's been kinda down lately..."

"Poor thing," said Dot. "I heard he doesn't have too many friends."

"true. he's never seen a human or humanfolk before. and seeing you just might make his day. don't worry, he's not dangerous. even if he tries to be."

"Kinda figured," said Yakko. "We heard the whole thing."

"Anyway," said Dot, "we'd love to meet Papyrus! Sounds like a pretty nice guy. Kinda dorky, but nice."

"thanks a million. i'll be up ahead."

He left, but went the opposite direction. The Warners didn't question him, though; he was probably using a shortcut. They followed their own path and found yet _another_ bright star. The convenience of Wakko's Gag Bag still filled them with determination.


	8. Breaking the Ice

To their front, the Warners found a box with a sign planted in the ground beside it.

_This is a box. You can put an item inside or take an item out. The same box will appear later, so don't worry about coming back._

_Sincerely, a box lover._

Wakko looked inside and found a tough, worn, pink leather glove. Despite being a finger short, he put it on his hand. As they decided to check out what was on their side, they were suddenly pulled back. They turned around to see Snowdrake flutter forth.

"'Ice' to meet you," said Snowdrake.

The Warners chuckled at Snowdrake's joke, finding it slightly amusing.

"See!? Laughs! Dad was wrong!"

He fluttered away happily, leaving behind twelve pieces of gold. Passing Snowdrake, they found a fishing rod affixed to the ground by a lake. Reeling it in, all that was attached to it was a photo of a weird-looking monster.

_Call me! Here's my number!_

Yakko threw the picture back into the lake.

"Goodbyeeeeeee nurse!"

Going back to the path, they overheard Papyrus and Sans having a conversation.

"SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE,"

He stopped talking as he noticed the Warners walking towards him and his brother. He looked at Sans, then back to the Warners, and repeated this process until he spun around in circles. When the Warners finally stopped approaching the skeletons, Sans and Papyrus looked away.

"SANS! OH MY GOD! ARE THOSE...HUMANFOLK?!"

"uhhhh...actually, i think that's a rock."

"OH."

The Warners looked behind them to see that they were indeed standing next to a rock.

"Is everything conveniently-placed around here or do we just have really good luck today?" said Yakko.

"Beats me," Wakko shrugged.

"hey, what are those standing in front of the rock?"

Papyrus examined the Warners once more, this time acknowledging their presence.

"OH MY GOD!"

He quickly turned back around to Sans.

"ARE...ARE THOSE HUMANFOLK" he whispered, able to keep his voice low for a person who spoke in all capitals.

"yes," Sans whispered back.

"OH MY GOD!"

Yakko and Wakko snickered.

"Whoa," said Dot, "dumber than a-"

She stopped midsentence as she had her first glimpse of Papyrus. Mesmerized by his looks, he was the most beautiful creature she ever saw. His outfit consisted of a white torso-piece with various golden trims, a red cape, red gloves trimmed with gold, blue briefs with a golden belt, and long red boots. His long legs also had her captivated; it was hard to take her eyes off them. Yet again, it was hard to take her eyes off of _him_. The way he went crazy upon finding the Warners was something she found adorable. Not cute, but adorable.

"SANS! I FINALLY DID IT! UNDYNE WILL...I'M GONNA...I'LL BE SO..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Dot couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Hellooooooooooo skele-nurse!"

She leaped over to Papyrus and tackled him in a hug, taking him by surprise.

"Girls," Yakko groaned.

"Go fig," Wakko responded.

"It's so nice to finally meet ya! Sans told us so much!"

She was about to lean in for a kiss, Papyrus too innocent to figure it out, but a blue aura surrounded her and she found herself being picked up. Looking to the side, one of Sans' eyes glowed as he revealed himself to be the one who was levitating her.

"kid, give the guy some space. you knocked the wind out of him."

He put her down. Papyrus got up, slightly dazed, as Dot sweetly put her hands behind her back.

"Sorry, got carried away."

"WOWIE, HOW CAN I STAY MAD AT SUCH A CUTE FACE?"

"Ya think I'm cute?" said Dot.

" _VERY_ CUTE. BOOP!"

Dot giggled as Papyrus gently touched her nose. Papyrus, realizing Yakko and Wakko were still on the other side of the path, cleared his throat to get their attention.

"HUMANFOLK! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN...THEN! I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S NEXT."

"We'll spend more time together?" Dot offered.

"MAYBE. IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE...ONLY IF YOU DARE!"

He walked away laughing.

"NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

"You can capture me _any_ day, Papyrus!" Dot shouted back at him, swooning.

Papyrus didn't seem to hear her...or notice she was in love with him altogether.

"well, that went well."

"Yeesh," said Yakko, shaking his head, "she fell head over heels for a _skeleton_!"

"i see you have a thing for my brother," said Sans, amused at Dot's affection for Papyrus.

"What can I say?" said Dot. "Girls love tall, handsome, and dreamy."

"So, did we make a good impression?" said Yakko.

"yep. don't sweat it, kids. i'll keep an eyesocket out for ya."

He followed Papyrus, who was too far ahead for him and the Warners to see. Following the skele-bros, they found a cardboard box with some narration on it. Knowing it was from Papyrus, Dot did her best to imitate him.

" _YOU OBSERVE THE WELL-CRAFTED SENTRY_ _STATION_ ," she boomed. " _WHO COULD HAVE BUILT THIS, YOU PONDER...I BET IT WAS THAT VERY FAMOUS ROYAL GUARDSMAN! (NOTE: NOT YET A VERY FAMOUS ROYAL GUARDSMAN.)_ "

"Never thought you'd be falling for a corpse," said Yakko.

"Hey, leave him alone!" said Dot. "At least he's got guts."

"Didn't see any on him," said Wakko, earning a chuckle from Yakko.

Dot rolled her eyes and walked ahead with her brothers, finding a sign.

_Absolutely NO MOVING!_

Next to the sign was another sentry-station, where a large black-and-white dog was rising up from inside.

"Did something move? Was it my imagination?"

His eyes shifted. The Warners were finding the Underground even more amusing as each second passed by.

"I can only see moving things. If something _was_ moving...For example, a humanfolk...I'll make sure it _never_ moves again!"

Another encounter was initiated, dragging the Warners right in front of the station. Doggo blocked the way.

"Don't move an inch!" he shouted.

Raising a sword over the Warners, they stood perfectly still just to see what would happen. They snickered when nothing bad happened to them, realizing Doggo gave away his own trick. Due to them not moving, Doggo didn't notice the kids. Yakko patted Doggo's head.

"Nice try, buddy."

"WHAT! I'VE BEEN PET! POT? PAT? POT? POT? PAT?"

The Warners spared Doggo, who left behind thirty pieces of gold for them. Doggo retreated back into the sentry-station.

"S-S-S-Something pet me...Something that isn't m-m-moving...I'm gonna need some dog treats for this!"

"He must've smoked too many dog treats," said Yakko, signaling to a cigarette-like bone on the ground.

Up ahead, they ran into Sans, standing next to an ice rink.

"Hey, Sans!" said Wakko.

"hey, guys. here's something important to remember."

The Warners listened to whatever Sans had to say.

"my brother has a very special attack."

Dot lit up instantly at the mention of Papyrus.

"if you see a blue attack, don't move and it won't hurt you. here's an easy way to keep it in mind."

"Wasn't that the attack Doggo used on us earlier?" said Wakko.

"Sounds like it," said Yakko.

"imagine a stop sign. when you see a stop sign, you stop, right?"

Dot nodded.

"stop signs are red. so imagine a blue stop sign instead. simple, right? when fighting, think about blue stop signs."

"Got it," said Yakko.

They didn't mind the silly thought of a blue stop sign, but were surprised they didn't come up with that earlier. Slipping on the ice and yelling, they had to grab the sign planted in the center to stop themselves from falling. But before they could read the sign, they were pulled right through it as Lesser Dog appeared. Deciding to pacify the dog, they thought about petting him. They barely lifted their hands up and he got excited. He let them pet him, but accidentally swung his sword around. A blue one passed through the Warners, but Dot got hit by a regular attack shortly afterward. Lesser Dog panted as the Warners continued to pet him, his neck getting longer and longer. Soon, Lesser Dog went where no dog has ever gone before. He left behind seven pieces of gold and let the Warners read the sign.

"That was fun," said Yakko. "Anyway, _North: Ice,_ _South: Ice,_ _West: Ice,_ _East: Snowdin Town...and ice_."

"Hey," said Dot, "what's up there?"

They went north of the sign and found a snowman.

"Hello. I am a snowman. I want to see the world...But I cannot move. If you would be so kind, travelers, please...Take a piece of me and bring it very far away."

They looked at each other, then shrugged.

"Wouldn't hurt," said Yakko, taking a piece out of the snowman and putting it in Wakko's Gag Bag. "Don't worry, we won't let it melt."

"Thank you...good luck!"

They left and went east to hear Sans and Papyrus bickering again.

"YOU'RE SO LAZY! YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!"

"i think that's called...sleeping."

"Woo!" Yakko cheered, liking Sans' one-liner. "You tell him, Sans!"

"EXCUSES, EXCUSES!"

"Yoohoo!" said Dot, waving at the skele-bros and getting their attention.

Papyrus' frustration turned to glee.

"OH-HO! THE HUMANFOLK ARRIVE!"

"Did ya miss us?" said Wakko.

Sans nodded, letting Papyrus do the talking.

"IN ORDER TO STOP YOU...MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES!"

The Warners cheered, loving the fact that they had more puzzles to solve. Considering their experience with Toriel, these puzzles were bound to be harder...and that meant they got to have more fun.

"I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE...QUITE SHOCKING! FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE...ELECTRICITY MAZE!"

"I thought he hated puns," Wakko whispered.

"Me too," Yakko responded.

"WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP! SOUND LIKE FUN? BECAUSE! THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE, IS ACTUALLY RATHER SMALL I THINK. OK, YOU CAN GO AHEAD NOW."

The Warners, seeing that the orb was not in their possession, were quick to come to the conclusion that they were in no true harm. Yet they decided to fool Papyrus into thinking he was gonna win.

"Ladies first," said Yakko, falsely acting like a gentleman.

Wakko giggled.

"Joke's on you," said Dot, "I'll get to him first."

"THE LADY HUMANFOLK IS BRAVE," Papyrus said to himself as Dot got ready.

Upon contact with the invisible maze, the tables turned, just as the Warners predicted, and Papyrus got electrocuted. They laughed as his body turned black for a moment, then reverted back to normal. Both skeletons must've known a thing or two about toon physics. He stomped his foot angrily on the snow-covered ground.

"SANS! WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"i think the humanfolk have to hold the orb."

"OH, OKAY."

Papyrus' enthusiasm returned as he walked to the Warners in a peculiar pattern, carrying the orb and unintentionally leaving behind footprints.

"HOLD THIS PLEASE!"

Dot smirked at her brothers.

"See this, guys? This is a _true_ gentleman."

Papyrus threw the orb into the air, Dot making a show of catching it by leaping into the air.

"Show off," Yakko muttered.

Papyrus ran back the same way he came, still unaware that he gave away the pattern.

"OKAY, TRY NOW!"

"Come on," said Dot.

She followed Papyrus' footsteps, her brothers staying close behind her.

"INCREDIBLE! YOU SLIPPERY SNAILS! YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY...TOO EASILY! HOWEVER! THE NEXT PUZZLE WILL NOT BE EASY! IT IS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS! YOU WILL SURELY BE CONFOUNDED! I KNOW I AM! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

He moonwalked away, despite not moving his feet. Sans took another moment to talk to the Warners, seeing Papyrus wouldn't come back.

"hey, thanks..."

"For what?" said Yakko.

"my brother seems like he's having fun. by the way, did you see that weird outfit he's wearing? we made that a few weeks ago for a costume party. he hasn't worn anything else since...keeps calling it his 'battle body.' man. isn't my brother cool?"

"He's the coolest..." said Dot.

Sans nudged her.

"gettin' a _bone_ r yet, dot?"

He winked at her, earning snickers from Yakko and Wakko. She rolled her eyes at Sans as they continued down the path. Thinking about a future with Papyrus filled her with determination.


	9. Games and Other Antics

The Warners came across a blue bunny-like creature standing next to a cart.

"I don't understand why these aren't selling...It's the perfect weather for something cold..."

"Hello?" said Wakko, getting the bunny's attention.

His ears shot up like a rocket.

"OH! CUSTOMERS! Hello! Would you like some Nice Cream? It's the frozen treat that warms your heart! Now just 15G! Instead of a joke, the wrapper says something nice."

"Sure!" said Yakko, giving him forty-five pieces of gold. The Nice Cream Man gave them three Nice Cream bars, happy that they bought his treat.

"Here you go! Have a super-duper day!"

The Warners left before his enthusiasm could start getting on their nerves. Crossing a bridge, they found a gigantic snowball in a snow patch. Instead of a puzzle, however, it seemed more like a game. The field the snowball was on led to a hole. Dot kicked it, making it bounce against the boundaries. It started shrinking rather quickly, so she tried to hurry up, but her aiming was awful. Finally, when the ball almost turned into a puddle, it fell into the hole and a light blue flag came out with a message.

" _'Ball' is 'Small.' You waited, still, for this opportunity...then dethroned 'Ball' with a sharp attack._ Sweet, four gold."

She took the gold out of the hole as the game reset.

"Let me have a go at it!" said Wakko.

He quickly kicked the snowball over and over again until it landed in the hole, staying large compared to Dot's tiny ball. This time, an orange flag came out.

" _You are the kind of person who rushes fists-first through all obstacles._ Ooh, _five_ gold!"

He smirked at Dot as he had the bigger amount.

"My turn!" said Yakko.

He pushed the snowball instead of kicking it, getting a blue flag.

" _Hopping and twirling, your original style pulled you through._ "

He grimaced as he got two pieces of gold.

"Hey, no fair! I'm trying again."

He used the same strategy, but didn't hit the edges of the field this time. He got a purple flag.

" _Even when you felt trapped, you took notes and achieved the end of 'Ball.'_ Two gold again?!"

"Maybe we broke it," said Wakko.

He tested it again, pushing the snowball across a patch of ice to put it into the hole. He got a green flag.

" _Your concern and care for 'Ball' led you to a delicious victory._ "

He only got one piece of gold this time.

"Nope, it's not rigged."

Dot tried one more time, this time getting the ball in the hole with one kick. Her flag was yellow.

" _Your sure-fire accuracy put an end to the mayhem of 'Ball.'_ Ha! Three gold!"

After each had their two turns, they decided to spice things up a little and play as if it was soccer. Yakko kicked the ball towards the hole, Wakko and Dot scrambling to get it.

"I got it! I got it!" Wakko shouted, shortly slipping on the ice afterwards and falling onto his side.

"Mine!" said Dot, kicking it to the hole.

Yakko delivered one final kick. A red flag, the last of them all, appeared. They read the message.

" _Bravery. Justice._ "

 _"Integrity. Kindness._ "

" _Perseverance. Patience._ "

They read the last sentence at the same time.

" _Using these, you were able to win at 'Ball game.'_ "

"Whoa, fifty gold!" said Yakko. "I'd say we're pretty good at this game."

Going backwards to see what they missed, they ran into Sans...again.

"i've been thinking about selling treats too," he told them, thinking about the Nice Cream Man. "want some fried snow? it's just 5G."

"Sure!" said Wakko.

"did i say 5G? i meant 50G."

"No," said Dot.

"you're right. that's still too low."

"Yeah," said Yakko, "you should go for 500G!"

"i would if i actually had fried snow."

They chuckled and went back down.

"Another snowball...actually, it's a snowdecahedron," said Yakko.

Sans and Papyrus were straight ahead, this time noticing the Warners immediately.

"HUMANFOLK! I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR...SANS! WHERE'S THE PUZZLE!"

"it's right there. on the ground. trust me. there's no way they can get past this one."

"A piece of paper?" said Dot, not impressed.

They walked forward, Yakko picking it up to find out that it was a word search.

"Wakko, got a pen?"

He pulled one out of his Gag Bag.

"Thanks."

He went to work and crossed out words, finding "fall", "monster", "cigars", "winter", "skeletons", "cig", "spring", "mermaid", "summer", "robot", and "hot". Yakko grimaced as he found Sans to be right.

"They misspelled 'giasfclfebrehber'," he whispered to his siblings.

It had a "u" where an "e" should've been.

"They don't need to know," said Wakko.

Dot was too busy staring at Papyrus to pay attention.

"WHAT ARE THEY, ANYWAY?" Papyrus asked his brother.

"they're cartoons, pap."

"CARTOONS...? OH, LIKE WHAT UNDYNE WATCHES!"

"more or less."

Yakko put the word search in his pants as they reached the skeletons.

"SANS! THAT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

"whoops. i knew i should have used today's crossword instead."

The Warners snickered.

"WHAT!? _CROSSWORD_!? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT! IN MY OPINION...JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDEST."

They covered their mouths to hold in laughter.

"I can't tell who's the bigger idiot," said Wakko.

"Papyrus; Sans knows what he's doing," said Yakko.

"But he's _my_ idiot," said Dot.

"what? really, dude? that easy-peasy word scramble? that's for baby bones."

"UN. BELIEVABLE. HUMANFOLK! SOLVE THIS DISPUTE!"

"Crossword's harder," said Wakko.

"I'm good at both," Yakko bragged.

"BOTH?! WOWIE, THAT TAKES SKILL!"

"If you think that's impressive, you should hear me sing the nations of the world!"

He turned his attention to Wakko and Sans.

"AS FOR THEM...YOU TWO ARE WEIRD! CROSSWORDS ARE SO EASY. IT'S THE SAME SOLUTION EVERY TIME. I JUST FILL ALL THE BOXES IN WITH THE LETTER 'Z'...BECAUSE EVERY TIME I LOOK AT A CROSSWORD...ALL I CAN DO IS SNORE! NYEH HEH HEH!"

" _I_ , on the other hand,agree with Papyrus," said Dot. "Besides, I haven't done a word scramble in forever!"

Papyrus' face lit up with joy.

"HA! HA! YES! HUMANFOLK LIKE YOU MUST BE VERY INTELLIGENT! IF THEY ALSO FIND JUNIOR JUMBLE SO DIFFICULT! NYEH! HEH! HEH HEH!"

"Awww, ya flatter me."

Papyrus walked away, happy that Dot sided with him.

"papyrus...finds difficulty in interesting places. yesterday he got stumped trying to 'solve' the horoscope."

Yakko and Wakko chuckled.

"and dot?"

"Yeah?"

"thanks for saying 'junior jumble' just to appease my brother."

"No problem, hon. I meant it."

Passing Sans, they arrived at a table with a plate of frozen spaghetti and an unplugged microwave, with all the settings on it saying "spaghetti". A mouse hole was located not too far away. There was also a note from Papyrus beside the table.

_HUMANFOLK! PLEASE ENJOY THIS SPAGHETTI. (LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, THIS SPAGHETTI IS A TRAP...DESIGNED TO ENTICE YOU! YOU'LL BE SO BUSY EATING IT...THAT YOU WON'T REALIZE YOU AREN'T PROGRESSING! THOROUGHLY JAPED AGAIN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!)_

_NYEH-HEH-HEH,_

_PAPYRUS_

Dot couldn't help but giggle at Papyrus' lame, yet entertaining attempts to capture her and her brothers. Wakko, on the other hand, only cared about the spaghetti. He tried to pull it off, but it was stuck to the table.

"It's frozen," he mumbled.

A light bulb went over his head as he got an idea: he chomped a hole through the table, attempting to digest the spaghetti, plate, and fork, but they got stuck in his throat and he started choking. Yakko and Dot approached him from behind as his face turned blue, performing the heimlich maneuver.

"You ok, Wakko?" Yakko asked as Dot patted Wakko's back.

"Yeah," he panted.

Knowing the mouse might one day find a way to heat up the spaghetti...it filled them with determination.


	10. More Puzzles With the Skele-bros

Up ahead, there was a sign.

" _Warning: Dog Marriage_ ," Yakko read.

He shook his head, confused. Yes, he read it right. An encounter was initiated shortly afterward; Icecap and Jerry confronted them. When Jerry wasn't looking, they ditched him.

"Nice hat," said Wakko.

"DUH! Who _doesn't_ know?"

They had to avoid getting hit by large icicles. Most of the attacks were dodged except for one, which hit the back of Wakko's head. They managed to tear their eyes away from Icecap's hat.

"What? What are you doing?"

They continued to look away. Then, when _he_ wasn't looking, Dot took his hat, which melted in her hands. Icecap turned into Ice.

"What can I say..." said Ice.

"Don't worry," said Yakko, "you still look good."

"Yeah...I like my hair too. Hmm...hats are for posers."

Not minding his identity, Ice was thankful for what the Warners did and let them spare him, leaving behind thirty-five pieces of gold.

Walking to the side, Dot found a small field. Walking too fast, she stubbed her toe.

"Ow!"

Looking closer, she realized there was a hidden switch. She pressed it, hearing a clicking noise.

"Not bad, sister sib!" said Yakko.

They went down and to the left, running into two hooded enemies. One was male and the other was female. The male spoke first.

"What's that smell?"

"(Where's that smell?)"

"If you're a smell..."

"(...identify yoursmellf!)"

Standing still, the Warners watched as they danced around them.

"Hmmm...Here's that weird smell...It makes me want to eliminate."

"(...Eliminate YOU!)"

Dogi, Dogamy and Dogaressa, assaulted them. They took off their hoods to share their affection for each other.

"Quick!" said Yakko. "Roll around in the snow!"

They rolled around, disguising their surface scent and making them smell like weird puppies. After getting re-sniffed, they thought the Warners were lost puppies. In actuality, they weren't completely wrong...

"What!" Dogamy exclaimed. "Smells like a..."

"(Are you actually little puppies!?)" Dogaressa asked.

Wakko barked to fool them, even though it wasn't necessary.

"Yeah," said Dot, petting Dogamy.

"Wow! Pet by another pup!"

"(Well. Don't leave me out!)"

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Yakko, petting Dogaressa.

"What about me..."

Dot stroked his neck to remind him she was still there.

"(Dogs that pet dogs...Amazing!)"

Their minds, having been expanded, were what allowed the Warners to spare them. They gave them forty pieces of gold.

"Dogs can pet other dogs?"

"(A new world has opened up for us...)"

"Thanks, weird puppies!"

"No problem!" said Yakko as the couple walked away.

Continuing forward, the Warners found another puzzle from Papyrus. There was a sign planted into the ground, which explained to them what they had to do.

_Turn every X into an O. Then press the switch._

Dot stepped onto the first X, which turned it into an O.

"Ooh, let me try!" said Wakko.

He stepped on the O, turning it into a triangle. Yakko looked at Wakko, confused.

"I don't think you're supposed to do that, Wakko."

"Oh."

He pressed the switch, resetting the puzzle.

This time, Wakko and Dot stepped on both X's, then Yakko pressed the switch, removing the row of spikes. Dot saw Papyrus standing on the other side; his back was turned towards them, so she decided to get his attention.

"Oh, Papyrus~"

He turned around.

"WHAT!? HOW DID YOU AVOID MY TRAP? AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY...IS THERE ANY LEFT FOR ME?"

"Wakko ate it all," said Yakko. "Well, at least he tried to. I'm pretty sure there's still some of it leftover."

He thought it was best not to explain why. Wakko was already getting sick at the the memory of attempting to eat Papyrus' inedible spaghetti.

"REALLY!? WOWIE...YOU RESISTED THE FLAVOR OF MY HOMECOOKED PASTA..JUST SO YOU COULD SHARE IT WITH ME?"

He seemed touched.

"FRET NOT HUMANFOLK! I, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS...WILL MAKE YOU ALL THE PASTA YOU COULD EVER WANT! HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH NYEH!"

Papyrus walked away before the Warners could make a comment about him laughing backwards. Luckily, he stopped in plain vision, signifying his next puzzle was up ahead. It looked like the previous one, but more complicated.

"HUMANFOLK! HMMM...HOW DO I SAY THIS...YOU WERE TAKING A LONG TIME TO ARRIVE, SO...I DECIDED TO IMPROVE THIS PUZZLE...BY ARRANGING THE SNOW TO LOOK MORE LIKE MY FACE."

"Looks pretty attractive," Dot said to herself.

"UNFORTUNATELY, THE SNOW FROZE TO THE GROUND. NOW THE SOLUTION IS DIFFERENT! AND, AS USUAL, MY LAZY BROTHER IS NOWHERE AROUND. I SUPPOSE WHAT I AM SAYING IS..."

He decided to strike a pose, the same one the Warners couldn't see when they hid under the Gag Bag. Dot's ears formed a heart shape as she watched Papyrus' cape flowing with the wind.

"WORRY NOT, HUMANFOLK! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL SOLVE THIS CONUNDRUM! THEN WE CAN BOTH PROCEED! MEANWHILE, FEEL FREE TO TRY THE PUZZLE YOURSELVES! I'LL TRY NOT TO GIVE AWAY THE ANSWER!"

"Step back, I got this!" said Yakko, cracking his knuckles.

"I have to potty," Wakko whispered to Dot.

"There's a tree right there if it's an emergency," she responded.

Wakko looked at her gratefully and went behind the tree. Yakko examined the puzzle, trying to figure out how to solve it. Dot stood next to Papyrus, seeing it as a chance to talk to her skele-crush.

"AREN'T YOU GOING TO SOLVE THE PUZZLE, DOT?"

"Nah, I already helped with the last one. Besides, I wanna stay with you for a while."

They sat down in the snow, side by side.

"So, anything new lately?"

"MY BROTHER STARTED A SOCK COLLECTION RECENTLY. HOW SADDENING..."

Dot giggled.

"He'd be so lost if he didn't have such a cool guy taking care of him."

Papyrus' eyes widened.

"YOU REALLY THINK I'M COOL?"

"Yeah! I mean, your puzzles are a lot of fun. Besides, I'm having a _blast_ with you around here!"

"NYEH HEH HEH!" he laughed victoriously. "WE SHOULD SPEND MORE TIME TOGETHER, HUMANFOLK!"

"I'd love that."

Meanwhile, Wakko was peeing behind the tree. He noticed there was a switch hidden behind it. He pressed it right when Yakko stepped on the first X, making all the X's turn into O's at the same time. Yakko didn't notice Wakko pressing the switch, however, and his jaw dropped at how he thought he magically solved the puzzle.

"Man, I didn't know I was _that_ good!"

"WOW! YOU SOLVED IT! AND YOU DID IT ALL WITHOUT MY HELP...INCREDIBLE! I'M IMPRESSED! YOU MUST CARE ABOUT PUZZLES LIKE I DO!"

"Yeah," said Wakko, coming out from behind the tree, "puzzles are fun!"

"WELL, I'M SURE YOU'LL LOVE THE NEXT PUZZLE THEN! IT MIGHT EVEN BE TOO EASY FOR YOU! NYEH! HEH HEH! HEHEHEH!"

As Papyrus left, the Warners crossed over to the other side.

"Oh," said Yakko, "there you are, Sans."

"good job on solving it so quickly. you didn't even need my help. which is great, 'cause i love doing absolutely nothing."

"Don't we all, Sans?" said Dot. "Don't we all?"

"But not for too long or else we'll get bored," said Yakko.

Moving ahead, Sans seemed to magically teleport himself to the next puzzle. It looked like a dance floor, but all the squares were different shades of grey, and a peculiar looking machine was sitting next to Papyrus.

"HEY! IT'S THE HUMANFOLK!"

"Hiya, Pap!" said Dot. "How ya doin', hon?"

"I'M DOING GREAT, THANKS FOR ASKING. YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS PUZZLE! IT WAS MADE BY THE GREAT DR. ALPHYS! YOU SEE THESE TILES!?"

"Yeah," said Yakko.

"ONCE I THROW THIS SWITCH...THEY WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE COLOR! EACH COLOR HAS A DIFFERENT FUNCTION! RED TILES ARE IMPASSABLE! YOU CANNOT WALK ON THEM! YELLOW TILES ARE ELECTRIC! THEY WILL ELECTROCUTE YOU! GREEN TILES ARE ALARM TILES! IF YOU STEP ON THEM...YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER!"

 _I hope I won't have to fight sweet, innocent Papyrus..._ Dot thought to herself.

"ORANGE TILES ARE ORANGE-SCENTED. THEY WILL MAKE YOU SMELL DELICIOUS! BLUE TILES ARE WATER TILES. SWIM THROUGH THEM IF YOU LIKE, BUT...IF YOU SMELL LIKE ORANGES! THE PIRANHAS WILL BITE YOU."

"Wait, there's piranhas?" said Wakko.

"I dunno," said Yakko, "it's all too hard to take in at once!"

"ALSO, IF A BLUE TILE IS NEXT TO A, YELLOW TILE, THE WATER WILL ALSO ZAP YOU! PURPLE TILES ARE SLIPPERY! YOU WILL SLIDE TO THE NEXT TILE!"

"I gotta admit," said Dot, "this is the most complicated puzzle he's made so far!"

"HOWEVER, THE SLIPPERY SOAP...SMELLS LIKE LEMONS! WHICH PIRANHAS DO NOT LIKE! PURPLE AND BLUE ARE OK! FINALLY, PINK TILES. THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING. STEP ON THEM ALL YOU LIKE. HOW WAS THAT!? UNDERSTAND?"

Wakko and Dot looked like Papyrus talked to them in a foreign language while Yakko felt like he was gonna get a headache from so much information.

"It's like he's tryin' to say something," Yakko told his siblings, "I know it!"

"Can ya say that again, sweetheart?" said Dot. "It's a little too much for us to take in."

Papyrus looked slightly annoyed.

"OKAY...I GUESS I'LL REPEAT MYSELF...RED TILES ARE IMPASSABLE. YELLOW TILES ARE ELECTRIC AND DANGEROUS. BLUE TILES MAKE YOU FIGHT A MONSTER. GREEN TILES ARE WATER TILES."

"I thought it was the opposite..." said Wakko.

"I'm gettin' confused all over again," Yakko groaned, grabbing his head.

"Hey," said Dot, "at least he's simplifying it this time."

"ORANGE TILES ARE ORANGE SCENTED. IF YOU STEP ON ORANGE, DON'T STEP ON GREEN. BROWN TILES ARE..."

" _Brown_ tiles?" said Yakko. "Are you serious?"

Wakko pulled out an ice pack for Yakko's headache.

"Thanks, Wakko."

He sat down and rested with the ice pack on his head, tuning out on what Papyrus was telling them.

"WAIT! THERE ARE NO BROWN TILES...PURPLE TILES SMELL LIKE LEMONS...WHY DON'T THE YELLOW ONES SMELL LEMONY? UMM...WAIT! DID I MIX UP GREEN AND BLUE!?"

"Yes you did," said Dot.

"THE BLUE ONES ARE WATER ONES! PINK TILES...I DON'T...REMEMBER? WAIT! THOSE ONES DON'T DO ANYTHING. OKAY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND BETTER NOW!?"

"Got it," said Dot.

At hearing this, Yakko put the ice pack away and his headache ended.

"Thank god!" he shouted. "I thought it was gonna last forever!"

"GREAT! THEN THERE'S ONE LAST THING...THIS PUZZLE...IS ENTIRELY RANDOM! WHEN I PULL THIS SWITCH, IT WILL MAKE A PUZZLE...THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE! NOT EVEN I WILL KNOW THE SOLUTION! NYEH HEH HEH! GET READY...!"

He pulled the switch, making the tiles change different colors.

"Ooh!" the Warners shouted.

Finally, after several seconds, the puzzle made a large row of pink tiles surrounded by two larger rows of red tiles, making it much simpler to solve. Papyrus, dizzy from the experience, spun out of control and out of the room. The Warners walked across with ease.

"Good thing it didn't turn into a big pile of his spaghetti!" said Wakko.

"actually," Sans told them, "that spaghetti from earlier...it wasn't too bad for my brother."

"It was for Wakko," said Yakko. "poor little garbage disposal nearly choked to death!"

Sans chuckled.

"since he started cooking lessons, he's been improving a lot."

"Oh, please!" said Yakko. "Inedible is anything _but_ an improvement! Not even Wakko, who's got a black hole of a stomach, could digest it!"

"watch your tone, kiddo. anyway, i bet if he keeps it up, next year he'll even make something edible."

"Fair enough," said Yakko. "Onwards, siblings!"

Up ahead, there were remains of a snowdog with a long neck surrounding a sentry-station with a sign.

" _AWARE of dog_ ," Yakko read, " _pleas pet dog_ "

The Warners smirked at the sign. On the floor inside was a box of pomeraisins. Close to the station was a cow monster.

"A dog just rushed in here, filled with inspiration. It kept trying to build a snowdog that expressed its own emotions...But, as it built, it kept getting more excited about the sculpture...Its neck got longer and longer, and it added more and more snow until...It was rather sad to watch, but I couldn't turn away."

"Aw," said Dot, "that's too bad."

Knowing that dog will never give up trying to make the perfect snowdog...it filled them with determination.


	11. Snowy Challenges

An ice skating rink with a puzzle that looked remotely similar to the previous two was up ahead.

"My turn!" said Dot.

She went straight forward, finding out she couldn't control herself very well on the ice. She slipped forward again, then up, then to her side...she fell and plummeted downwards screaming. Luckily, the snow cushioned her fall.

"You ok, Dot?" Yakko called.

"I'm fine!" she shouted back a few seconds later.

She got up, brushed the snow off her skirt and poncho, and found herself standing in front of two sculptures. The first was simply a lump of snow with the word "Sans" written on it in red marker.

"Classic Sans," she chuckled.

To her other side, she saw a snow Papyrus...with extra muscles.

"Helloooooo handsome!" she said, taking a moment to run her arms through snow Papyrus' biceps.

Looking back at her love for the sexy skeleton, she realized she never had such an extreme crush on anyone since Mel Gibson. There were other celebrities, of course, but he was always her favorite. Recently, she had to force herself to stop living in the past and move on, as Mel grew old. It was hard, and she never really loved anybody that way afterwards until she met Papyrus. He seemed to like her, so a relationship with him wouldn't be impossible. He didn't run away either, so that was a good sign. But alas, would he ever notice how much she cared about him? He had to sooner or later. He just had to. After her little moment, she climbed back up to her brothers.

"I have an idea; get on my shoulders," said Yakko. "We'll have to make a Warner tower to solve this one!"

Dot climbed onto Wakko, who got on top of Yakko. Yakko guided them through the puzzle: top, forward, right, right, up, right, forward, right, right, right, right, left, and on the switch they went. The passageway to the next area was formed as they slid through the trees. After finally stopping, they had snow on their heads. They got onto solid ground and shook the snow off, finding themselves at crossroads. Going right, they ran into Sans for what felt like the umpteenth time. Not that they were complaining, though; they enjoyed talking to the pile of lazy bones.

"Hey Sans," said Wakko.

"what's up?" he asked them.

"Nothin' much," said Dot, "I ran into a Papyrus snow skeleton and caressed his smooth, muscular arms."

"So that's why you took so long!" said Yakko.

They kept walking, Sans teleporting away when they didn't turn around. He went ahead of the Warners, planning to prank them. He chuckled to himself; they wouldn't suspect a thing. Once they'd see him, he'd say something like "are you lost?" or "hey, are you followin' me?" But the Warners already had a few tricks up their sleeves.

"Hi," Yakko whispered subtly, his head almost touching Sans' shoulder.

Sans jumped back, calming down as the Warners burst with laughter.

"Ya shoulda seen your face!" said Dot.

"so, you use the shortcuts too?"

"Always did," said Yakko. "We know pretty much every trick in the book, so don't be surprised if some of your pranks backfire, ok?"

They walked away, Sans nodding. He was taking a liking to them.

"nice kids," he muttered to himself.

The Warners were confronted by Gyftrot, who had been decorated awfully. Taking pity on him, they removed the striped cane that said "I use this tiny cane to walk" on it.

"That feels a little better," he told them.

They removed the box of non-dog-related raisins.

"Almost done..." said Wakko.

They removed a childhood photograph of Snowdrake and his parent.

"Yeesh," said Dot, "who did this to you?"

"Naughty teens," he grumbled.

After all the decorations were removed, he felt much better.

"A weight has been lifted."

"Here's a little extra somethin' to remember us by," said Yakko, giving Gyftrot thirty-five pieces of gold because he couldn't think of an appropriate gift. Besides, they had tons of money left.

"Aw, you shouldn't have..."

They spared him and moved on. They found a hallway that led to a mysterious door. Yakko tried to open it, but to no avail.

"It's locked...oh well."

They retreated and went back the other way. They walked across more snow.

"It's a snow poff," Yakko said, examining piles of snow. "And this...Is a snow poff. This, however, is a snow poff."

"Surprisingly," said Wakko, "it's a snow poff."

To their side was a tiny doghouse and a sign that said 'Woof'. They shrugged and walked away.

"Snow poff..." said Dot.

"Is it really a snow poff?" said Wakko.

"Behold! A snow poff."

"Eh?" said Yakko. "There's 30 G inside this...what is this? It's a snow poff."

The last snow poff, however, moved. A tiny dog emerged from the snow. He barked at them.

"Awwwwwww!" said the kids, yet with Dot thinking the puppy was not as cute as her.

He came out of the snow wearing battle armor and towered the Warners.

"Whoa!" Yakko exclaimed. "Ok then..."

The Greater Dog initiated an encounter. Yakko whistled, beckoning the puppy.

"Greater Dog! Come here, boy!"

It bounded towards him, flecking slobber into his face and making him laugh.

"S-stop, that tickles!"

As Greater Dog sought affection, he moved his spear uncontrollably, making the Warners try their best to avoid it. Greater Dog curled up into Wakko's lap as he petted him.

"Ooh, soft fur! Oh...he fell asleep."

Greater Dog barked in his sleep, the word 'bark' continuously becoming an attack.

"Gah!" Dot shouted.

"BARK BARK!" Yakko repeatedly and frantically yelled as the attacks went towards him and his siblings. "BARK BARK! BARK BARK!"

After they successfully dodged the bark attacks, Greater Dog woke up, excited and ready to play. He patted the ground with his front paws, yet sniffed curiously at Yakko's stick. Dot made a snowball and threw it for Greater Dog to catch, distracting him from the almighty stick.

"Fetch!" she shouted.

Despite the snowball splatting in the ground, Greater Dog picked up all the snow in the area and brought it back to her. He became tired and rested on her, wanting TLC.

"Easy on the poncho," she muttered, grinning.

She petted him, making him sink his entire weight on her. Yakko and Wakko laughed hysterically as she got squished, making her let out a muffled scream. Yakko took a picture with his cell phone to savor the moment. Dot's movement slowed and she still didn't pet him enough.

"Pet him more and he'll get off ya," said Yakko as he caught his breath.

Pet-capacity was at forty percent. Dot patted his back decisively in an attempt to get him off her, making pet-capacity reach one hundred percent. Greater Dog flopped over with his legs hanging in the air, finally releasing Dot from his hold. He attacked them again with the barks.

"BARK BARK! BARK BARK! BARK BARK!"

Greater dog was contented, letting all three Warners give him a belly rub.

"Good boy, Greater Dog!" said Yakko. "That's a good boy."

They spared him as he gave them forty pieces of gold. He got up, jumped out of his suit, licked their faces, and retreated back into his armor...with his butt hanging in the air. Yakko managed to take another picture before he was out of sight, laughing again. Finally, they reached the last of Papyrus' puzzles as they walked a somewhat unstable bridge.

"HUMANFOLK! THIS IS YOUR FINAL AND MOST DANGEROUS CHALLENGE! BEHOLD! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!"

Their eyes widened with excitement as a spikeball attached to a chain, a spear, a dog tied to a rope, a torch, another spear, and a cannon appeared out of nowhere.

"Whoa...faboo!" said Wakko.

"WHEN I SAY THE WORD, IT WILL FULLY ACTIVATE! CANNONS WILL FIRE! SPIKES WILL SWING! BLADES WILL SLICE! EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN! ONLY THE TINIEST CHANCE OF VICTORY WILL REMAIN! ARE YOU READY!?"

"Yeah!" all three kids shouted at once.

"BECAUSE! I! AM! ABOUT! TO DO IT!"

They waited, but Papyrus seemed to hesitate.

"well? what's the holdup?"

"HOLDUP!? WHAT HOLDUP!? I'M...I'M ABOUT TO ACTIVATE IT NOW!"

Nothing happened.

"What's going on?" said Wakko.

"that, uh, doesn't look very activated."

"WELL! THIS CHALLENGE! IT SEEMS...MAYBE TOO EASY TO DEFEAT THE HUMANFOLK WITH."

"True," said Yakko, although not completely buying the excuse.

"YEAH! WE CAN'T USE THIS ONE! I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS!"

"I hope I meet 'em," said Dot.

"We definitely meet 'em," said Yakko.

"MY PUZZLES ARE VERY FAIR! AND MY TRAPS ARE EXPERTLY COOKED! BUT THIS METHOD IS TOO DIRECT! NO CLASS AT ALL! AWAY IT GOES!"

The puzzle disassembled. The Warners cheered, Yakko and Wakko hugging each other.

"Woo!" said Yakko. "We won!"

Dot, on the other hand, folded her hands as Papyrus sighed with relief.

"Awwwww, he cares about us!"

He noticed their cheering and turned around to look at them.

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!? THIS WAS ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR PAPYRUS!"

"Whatever ya say, honey."

"NYEH! HEH! ...HEH?"

He walked away in a confused state. Dot giggled, shrugging it off as she and her brothers safely crossed the bridge.

"What was that all about?" said Yakko. "He seemed pretty upset or somethin'."

"i dunno, he gets flustered so easily. listen, i don't know what my brother's going to do now. if i were you, i would make sure i understand blue attacks."

Yakko nodded.

"We're one step ahead of ya, buddy."

As they walked away, they found a sign.

"Welcome to Snowdin Town!" Yakko read aloud. "Cool."

They walked into the general store, where there was a bunny lady at the cashier.

"Hello, travelers. How can I help you?"

"We're just gonna look around," said Dot.

"Hi, Miss Bunny Lady!" said Wakko, waving.

She smiled in a friendly manner.

"Hiya! Welcome to Snowdin! I can't remember the last time I saw a fresh face around here. Where did you come from? The capital?"

"We came from outta town," said Yakko.

"You don't look like tourists. Are you here by yourselves?"

"Yup!" said Wakko.

He joined his sister in looking for items to buy.

"Care to chat?" the bunny shopkeeper asked Yakko, who wasn't really interested in buying anything.

"Sure," said Yakko. "How's life?"

"Life's the same as usual. A little claustrophobic..."

Yakko nodded, not forgetting that the monsters were trapped in the Underground.

"But...we all know deep down that freedom is coming, don't we? As long as we got that hope, we can grit our teeth and face the same struggles, day after day...That's life, ain't it?"

"Yeah, I guess. Since we're probably gonna stay for a while, can ya tell us about the town?"

"Think back to your history class...A long time ago, monsters lived in the Ruins back there in the forest. Long story short, we decided to leave the Ruins and head for the end of the caverns. Along the way, some fuzzy folk decided they liked the cold and set up camp in Snowdin. Oh, and don't think about trying to explore the Ruins...The door's been locked for ages. So unless you're a ghost or can burrow under the door, forget about it."

Yakko thought about Toriel. Sure, the Ruins might have been her home, but how come she never left to get some fresh air? Or at least air that was as fresh as possible considering she lived underground.

"Hmmm...what about things to do?"

"You want to know what to do here in Snowdin? Grillby's has food, and the library has information...If you're tired, you can take a nap at the inn. It's right next door – my sister runs it. And if you're bored, you can sit outside and watch those wacky skeletons do their thing. There's two of 'em...Brothers, I think."

"Ya mean Sans and Papyrus? Ya know, now that I think of it, they are pretty wacky. How'd they get so popular around here?"

"Well, they just showed up one day and...asserted themselves."

"Sounds like Papyrus to me," said Dot, who eavesdropped on their conversation and sighed happily.

"Don't mind her, she's got a crush on the tall one."

The shopkeeper gave them a weird look, but shrugged. The Warners looked pretty strange to her too, unlike most monsters in the Underground.

"Anyway, the town has gotten a lot more interesting since then."

"Ooh, a matching tough glove!" said Wakko.

He ran up to the shopkeeper. Yakko decided to look at some stuff, running out of conversation topics for the moment. To his surprise, he ended up coming across something he liked.

"Whoa, check out this manly bandana...its got abs on it!"

"A cinnamon bunny?" said Dot.

"It's my own recipe," said the bunny shopkeeper.

They bought the glove, the manly bandana, three cinnamon bunnies, and three bisicles, which were popsicles they could eat twice.

"Thanks for your purchases."

"Well," said Yakko, "that's all for now."

"Bye now! Come again sometime!"

Wakko put on the other glove. Meanwhile, Yakko tied the bandana around his head.

"Finally...today's the day I become a man!"

Dot shoved him.

"Oh, please! As if you'll ever be a man!"

Wakko laughed, but Yakko shrugged it off. They reached the inn, where a bunny lady, who turned out to be the shopkeeper's sister, and her son were behind the cash register. The bunny boy talked to Yakko.

"Mom says that sleeping can recover your health above your maximum HP...what's maximum HP?"

"I call 'em hype points," said Yakko. "The more ya got, the more ya bounce around like crazy!"

"Oh...cool!"

"Welcome to Snowed Inn! Snowdin's premier hotel! One night is 80G."

They handed her the gold. It seemed as if they had an infinite amount of gold, but they had no idea where it came from.

"Here's your room key. Make sure to bundle up!"

"Thanks!" said Dot.

They went upstairs and found a very comfy looking room. It had a rug with a heart on it, a lamp, warm red walls, a landscape photo, a trash can, and a bed that was much larger than a king-size.

"Looks like we have to share a bed," said Wakko.

"Goodnight everybody!" said Yakko.

Yakko walked over to the trash can. He took out the note from Flowey, ripped it to shreds, and put the pieces inside the trash can. He wiped his hands, feeling relieved that the unnerving letter was finally disposed of.

"I'm feeling a lot better now."

They brushed their teeth and changed into their pj's.

"Ya turnin' in?" said Yakko.

"To what?" said Wakko.

"We'll find out tomorrow," said Dot, yawning. "Night."

"Night," Yakko and Wakko said at the same time, turning off the light and falling asleep.

The sight of such a friendly town filled them with determination.


	12. Snowdin

Dot found herself in a golden hallway and facing Sans. Why she was there, she didn't know. She also didn't know why she was holding the toy knife Yakko held in his belt. Looking around, she realized her brothers were nowhere to be found. Where were they?

"heya. you've been busy, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess."

There was an awkward silence between them, which confused her.

"so, i've got a question for ya. do you think even the worst person can change...?"

A memory seemed to unfold, yet it was something Dot didn't remember. Standing in a snowy field, she stood in front of Papyrus, who had his arms wide open as if wanting a hug. She wanted to run into his arms, but there was something holding her back. She felt like she lost control of her body as she took the knife and decapitated Papyrus. When she felt herself regain it, she dropped the knife and covered her mouth, gasping.

"No!" she screamed, running towards him.

"W-WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED..."

"Did I really do that...?" she breathed.

"BUT...ST...STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

She hugged his head, as his body already turned to dust.

"Papyrus, I'm so sorry! I-I-I dunno what came over me..."

Sans still spoke to her in flashback.

"that everyone can be a good person, if they just try?"

She ignored him as she heard the rest of Papyrus' dying words.

"YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER! EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK SO! I...I PROMISE..."

She kissed his head, which turned to dust five seconds later. Finally, she started sobbing. Devastated at the fact that she killed her crush, it was one of the few things she'd never forgive herself for. As the flashback ended, Sans chuckled.

"all right. well, here's a better question. do you wanna have a bad time? cause if you take another step forward..."

She wiped her tears away.

"Sans, I'd never do that to him! You know it!"

He continued giving a speech as if he didn't hear what Dot had to say.

"you are REALLY not going to like what happens next."

She took a step forward.

"Sans-"

"welp. sorry, old lady. this is why i never make promises."

"Old lady? Who-?"

She gasped as an encounter began.

"it's a beautiful day outside. birds are singing, flowers are blooming...on days like these, kids like you..."

His pupils disappeared, which scared her greatly.

" **Should be burning in hell.** "

He slammed her downwards, stabbing her with bones. She screamed as immeasurable pain was sent through her body. Then, another row of bones pushed her around. Finally, skeleton-like heads, which Sans referred to as Gaster Blasters, shot out lasers that burned Dot so badly she felt herself dying and turning into ashes.

* * *

Dot immediately woke up, gasping. Looking around, she was back at the inn with her brothers. She got out of the bed and rushed towards the window. Looking out, she could barely see a thing, but managed to find Papyrus sleeping peacefully. She let out a sigh of relief, as it was just a nightmare. Returning to her bed, she slept the rest of the night away like a baby.

* * *

The next morning, the Warners checked out of the inn.

"Hiya! You look like you had a great sleep!"

"I had a nightmare at first," Dot told her, low enough so Yakko and Wakko couldn't hear her, "but after that I was fine. Here's the key."

"Thanks. Come back soon!"

Leaving the inn, Yakko decided to take off the bandana and put it in his pants. He and his siblings decided to walk around the town for a while. They came across a sign by an igloo.

_Don't want to walk to the other side of town? Try the undersnow tunnels! They're efficiently laid out._

Before they could try out the tunnels, they could hear other monsters talking partly to them and partly to themselves, distracting them. The first monster they heard was a bunny man.

"That lady over there...Something about her disturbs me."

They turned around and found a bunny lady walking what seemed to be a baby bunny on a leash.

"Isn't my little Cinnamon just the cutest?"

"Trust me," said Dot, "he's nothin' compared to _this_!"

She signaled to herself, but her peers shrugged it off.

"Bun-buns are so adorable...Tee hee!"

"Bun-bun-bun-bun-bun..." the smaller bunny replied.

They left and found a bear putting a gift by what looked like a Christmas tree.

"What's this?" Wakko asked.

"Awful teens tormented a local monster by decorating its tree-like horns. So we started giving that monster presents to make it feel better. Now it's a tradition to put presents underneath a decorated tree."

"Interesting..." said Yakko, nodding his head to show he meant it.

The tree, upon examination, was carefully decorated. Some of the presents were addressed from "Santa" to various locals.

"Yo!"

The Warners saw a young, armless monster kid behind them.

"You're not kids, right? I can tell 'cause you're not wearing striped shirts."

Yakko snapped his fingers, making white stripes appear over the fur of his siblings and himself, as well as Wakko's shirt.

"You were saying?" he asked with a smug smile on his face.

Monster Kid lit up.

"Whoa..."

They shook off the stripes, literally, and reverted back to their regular designs. Yakko playfully rubbed Monster Kid's head.

"Some things aren't what they seem, kid."

Monster Kid was still wide-eyed at their trick.

"The name's Yakko."

"I'm Wakko!"

"And I'm cute!"

Yakko, Wakko, and the Monster Kid rolled their eyes.

"I think I'm liking ya already," Yakko whispered to Monster Kid.

"But you can call me Dot," Dot finished.

"We'd shake your hand...if ya had one," said Yakko.

Monster Kid rubbed his head against Yakko's leg.

"How's this?"

The Warners laughed. Yakko patted Monster Kid's back.

"It's good enough, I guess. Well, see ya around!"

They walked away. Nearby, a bear seemed to be talking half to himself, half to the Warners, similar to the bunny man they talked to earlier.

"This town doesn't have a mayor. But if there's ever a problem, a skeleton will tell a fish lady about it. Thaaaaaat's politics!"

The Warners snickered.

"He's probably talkin' about Papyrus," Dot muttered.

"What, is he all of a sudden the answer to everything now?" said Yakko.

"Yeah," said Dot, "sue me."

Yakko and Wakko rolled their eyes as they passed a bar. They probably couldn't go in; they were underage. More monsters talked as they walked by.

"Everyone is always laughing and cracking jokes, trying to forget our modern crises...Dreariness. Crowding. Lack of sunlight. I would join them, but I'm just not very funny."

Instead of replying, they merely listened to what others had to say. They'd nod, but it was to keep themselves from feeling depressed.

"We all know the Underground has problems, but we smile anyway. Why? We can't do anything, so why be morose about it?"

It was disturbing to think that people would behave like the Warners just to forget they were doomed for all eternity. That made them think: what would they do if they had the same fate? Would they become bored and despondent? Go insane...in a bad way? Die in the worst way possible? Merely imagining it felt terrifying. When they stopped walking and snapped back to the present, they found themselves in front of a machine that made ice.

"Uhhhh...I think we went the wrong way," said Yakko.

They returned to the path and found a building.

" _Librarby_..."

They laughed.

"You've gotta be kidding!" said Dot as they walked in.

A green lizard with glasses stood by the counter.

"Welcome to the library."

Yakko was about to say something, but he was cut off.

"Yes, we know. The sign is misspelled."

They chuckled. People like the lizard must've been committed to not correcting the mistake. As they went to check out some books, a yellow monster lady caught their attention.

"I love working on the newspaper. There's so little to report that we just fill it with comics and games."

"Now _that's_ our kind of newspaper!" said Yakko, as he and his siblings approved.

The monster next to her coughed.

"When I was younger, my teachers gave me word searches when they ran out of assignments. I thought they were a waste of time. But look at me now...I'm the number-one word-search creator in the entire Underground!"

A red Loox stared at the kids as they went to find some books. Dot noticed and turned around.

"What are ya lookin' at?"

"That look in your eye...You're someone that has trouble doing Junior Jumble, aren't you? And _you_ , that look in your eye..."

She signaled to Wakko, who turned around.

"You're someone that has trouble doing crosswords."

"Yup," said Wakko, impressed.

Yakko turned around, hoping to get something out of her.

"But you, that look in _your_ eye...You're someone that has trouble doing neither! You must have the entire universe under your control."

"Are ya kiddin'?" said Yakko. "Of course I do!"

Looking back at the bookshelves, Yakko picked up a green book on the far right and read it to himself.

_Love, hope, compassion...This is what people say monster souls are made of. But the absolute nature of the "soul" is unknown. After all, humans have proven their souls don't need these things to exist._

"That's true in Plotz's case."

Wakko chose the book next to Yakko's.

_Monster History Part 4_

_Fearing the humans no longer, we moved out of our old city, Home. We braved harsh cold, damp swampland, and searing heat...Until we reached what we now call our capital. "New Home." Again, our King is really bad at names...?_

Dot chose a book on the far left, which was a school report about monster funerals.

_Monster funerals, technically speaking, are cool as heck. When monsters get old and kick the bucket, they turn into dust. At funerals, we take that dust and spread it on that person's favorite thing. Then their essence will live on in that thing...Uhhh, am I at the page minimum yet? I'm kinda sick of writing this._

Dot let out a courtesy laugh.

"Come on, I want a better one!"

She took a blue one out from the shelf next to her, hoping it was better written.

_While monsters are mostly made of magic, humans are mostly made of water. Humans, with their physical forms, are far stronger than us. But they will never know the joy of expressing themselves through magic. They'll never get a bullet-pattern birthday card..._

She was satisfied with the result. Wakko took out a yellow book next to her, wondering what it had to say.

_(Here I am...Writing this book. A person comes in and picks up the book...They start reading it...!) Oh, sorry. I'm still writing that one._

"Oh, poo! I got jipped!"

Yakko picked the last book.

_Because they are made of magic, monsters' bodies are attuned to their soul. If a monster doesn't want to fight, its defenses will weaken. And the crueler intentions of our enemies, the more their attacks will hurt us. Therefore, if a being with a powerful soul struck with the desire to kill...Um, let's end the chapter here..._

This left a bad feeling in Yakko's stomach, but he ignored it. They walked out of the library and continued walking forward, stumbling across Sans and Papyrus' house. One mailbox was overflowing with unread junk mail while the other was labelled "PAPYRUS" and was empty.

"Aw," said Dot, "poor Papy."

To cheer him up, she took out a piece of paper and wrote a letter in the shape of a heart. In the style of a pop-up letter, the heart was folded in half. The front said _To: Papyrus._ If he opened it up, he'd find a cut-out of Dot giving him a thumbs-up and this message:

_You're the coolest!_

_Love,  
_ _Dot._

She slipped it into the mailbox. The thought of making Papyrus feel better filled her with determination.


	13. Bonetroussled

At the end of Snowdin, the path started getting unnecessarily foggy. If anyone else was out there, they would have thought the Warners turned completely black.

"Yeesh," said Yakko, putting a hand by his face, "I can't see a thing out here!"

They stopped walking when they saw a shadow amongst the fog, who turned out to be none other than Papyrus.

"Like a night in shining armor..." Dot sighed.

"Talk about dumb love," Yakko muttered.

"HUMANFOLK. ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS."

"We're listening," said Wakko.

"This is gonna be good..." said Dot.

"FEELINGS LIKE...THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL."

They nodded.

"THESE FEELINGS...THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!"

Yakko facepalmed himself.

"Ya can't be serious," Wakko whispered.

Dot gasped, wanting to play along instead.

"How did ya know?"

She stared lovingly at Papyrus as hearts formed in her eyes and around her head. However, he did not seem to notice them.

"I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT."

"Well," said Yakko, "can't argue with that."

"I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE."

"Oh, really? Were ya the coolest guy in high school?"

"COOL? I WAS SO COOL THEY GAVE ME THE NICKNAME 'COOL DUDE'!"

Dot couldn't help but giggle.

"I PITY YOU...LONELY TOONS...WORRY NOT! YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR..."

He stopped hesitatingly. The Warners could sense his discomfort as he turned away from them.

"Uh...Papyrus?" said Yakko, confused.

"What's the matter?" said Dot, who felt genuinely worried.

"NO...NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND!"

Facing them once more, he forgot he even wanted to befriend the kids in the first place.

"YOU ARE HUMANFOLK! I MUST CAPTURE YOU! THEN, I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM! POPULAR! POWERFUL! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS! THE NEWEST MEMBER...OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"

"I can't believe it!" said Dot, folding her arms angrily.

Papyrus initiated an encounter, striking a pose. However, along with being pulled closer to the skeleton, they were levitated so they could be face to face with him and the boundary box was vertically placed around them. Floating in the air, the fog was no longer a problem as they saw each other clearly.

 _Yet again, how can I stay angry at that sexy face?_ Dot thought to herself.

Seeing it was a battle, the Warners put their weapons in Wakko's Gag Bag, not looking for any violence concerning Papyrus.

"He's blocking the way!" said Wakko. "What'll we do now?"

Dot got an idea and shoved her brothers to the side.

"Step aside, boys. This is a lady's job."

"Since when were _you_ a lady?" said Yakko.

She rolled her eyes and walked closer to Papyrus.

"Anybody else gettin' sweaty in here?" she asked, fanning herself. "'Cause you're smokin' _hot_!"

Papyrus was slightly unnerved.

"WHAT!? FL-FLIRTING!?"

Dot nodded.

"SO YOU FINALLY REVEAL YOUR ULTIMATE FEELINGS!"

"It took ya _that_ long to figure out?" said Dot, putting her hand on her hip and unintentionally imitating Papyrus. "Well, at least it was worth the wait."

"W-WELL! I'M A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS!"

"I can make spaghetti, ya know."

"OH NO! YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS!"

Yakko and Wakko laughed.

"So much for playing hard to get!" said Yakko.

"Too easy!" said Dot.

"I GUESS THIS MEANS I HAVE TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU...?"

This time, it was the Warners' turn to be surprised. Yakko and Wakko's eyes widened.

"Wait, what?"

Dot lit up.

"Are you serious? Oh my god, yes!"

She almost fainted from the excitement, but Yakko and Wakko caught her in time.

"She's even worse than us!" said Yakko.

"LET'S DATE L-LATER! AFTER I CAPTURE YOU!"

Getting back into their positions, they got ready for Papyrus' first attack. Three large bones stuck out of the ground, but missed the Warners' feet by a few inches.

"Is he _tryin'_ to hurt us?" said Wakko.

At this point, they could tell he didn't want to hurt them, and quite frankly, they didn't want to hurt him either; he was too innocent. Besides, they really warmed up to him ever since he gave them those fun puzzles.

Papyrus was thinking about what to wear and cook for his date. Dot opened her mouth to flirt with Papyrus some more, but was cut off by Yakko.

"Somebody oughta talk some sense into him. Listen, Papyrus. We can't hurt ya; you're waaayyyyy too nice. Can't we just work somethin' out?"

"SO YOU WON'T FIGHT...THEN, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN HANDLE MY FABLED 'BLUE ATTACK!'"

Blue bones from all over passed through the Warners. They didn't move, leaving them unscathed. But something took them by surprise. Their souls and bodies turned dark blue. They yelped as gravity took effect, making them fall to the ground and landing on their stomachs. A tiny bone quickly sped towards Wakko and hit him in the side.

"Ow!" he shouted briefly.

He and his siblings got up off the ground, but felt a little heavier than usual as the background music stopped playing. They were also confused by the change in their color scheme.

"Wha...?" Wakko wondered out loud.

"YOU'RE BLUE NOW. THAT'S MY ATTACK! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

Dot smiled at him.

"You sly devil~"

"Oh, it's on!" said Yakko. "Hit it!"

The background music turned back on, but with some percussion added to it.

"Ooh, nice beat!" said Wakko.

"HMMM...I WONDER WHAT I SHOULD WEAR..."

Two small bones, followed by a medium bone, were sent towards the Warners. They tried to play around with their new abilities, which proved effective for the following attacks.

"It's like being on the moon," said Wakko, "but heavier."

Dot, having overheard Papyrus' comment, looked at him when the attack was over.

"Papy..."

"WHAT!? I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT DATE THING!"

"Sure, hon."

Three more bones, one small and two medium, were conjured by the skeleton. They went at a faster rate, causing the Warners to try controlling how high they jumped.

"Whoa!" said Yakko. "Now it's gettin' kinda tricky."

Dot ran into the last bone face-first, having jumped too high. She squeaked upon contact as the bone disappeared.

Another medium sized bone and three large bones followed. Wakko jumped too high and was too slow for the last bone, landing on top of it.

"Ow..."

"YEAH! DON'T MAKE ME USE MY **SPECIAL ATTACK**!"

"Ooh," said Dot. "Special, ya say?"

"Cut it out," said Yakko, nudging her to alert her of the next attack.

This time, the bones came from the other side. A large bone, followed by a duplicate flipped upside down, three small bones, a medium bone, and a large upside down bone, were thrown at them.

"Look out!" said Yakko, pulling Wakko downwards to avoid the second bone.

Meanwhile, as the Warners were too busy turning their fight into a game, Papyrus had a one-sided conversation, all while dabbing MTT-Brand sauces, slimes, juices, and yogurts behind his ears.

"I CAN ALMOST TASTE MY FUTURE POPULARITY! PAPYRUS: HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"

As the fight progressed, new mechanics were added into Papyrus' attacks. Some bones were light blue, while others formed small gaps, stacks, and patterns. Despite this, the Warners were having fun, laughing all the way through. Meanwhile, Papyrus realized he didn't have ears.

"PAPYRUS: UNPARALLELED SPAGHETTORE!"

Dot swooned at Papyrus, who rolled his 'R's on "SPAGHETTORE"

"Throw me over the gaps!" said Wakko.

Yakko threw him at an angle, making sure he landed right in front of the blue bone. He followed his brother, doing flips instead.

"Show off," Dot muttered as the cartwheeled across.

"Bone!" said Wakko, pointing behind him.

They jumped. Two pairs of bones, making a gap for them to jump through, were headed straight towards them as well. They each got into the middle and jumped, spreading out their arms and legs as if doing jumping jacks.

"Whoa!" they exclaimed as they jumped.

"UNDYNE WILL BE REALLY PROUD OF ME!"

His attacks were getting a little repetitive, which made things easier for the Warners. However, it was the speeds that threw them off.

"This is gettin' harder and harder," said Yakko, "but I love a challenge."

They still showed off by doing the occasional cartwheel or flip instead of jumping. Although Papyrus was still having the one-sided conversation, he noticed the toons having fun and smiled at the sight of it.

"NYEH HEH HEH!" he whispered.

"Does that mean you're _nyehfully_ mine?" said Dot, winking at him.

Yakko and Wakko ignored her. They were no longer annoyed by her affection for Papyrus, but instead found it amusing due to Papyrus somewhat reciprocating the feeling. Dot stayed focused for the rest of the battle, but occasionally listened to what Papyrus had to say.

"THE KING WILL TRIM A HEDGE IN THE SHAPE OF MY SMILE! MY BROTHER WILL...WELL, HE WON'T CHANGE VERY MUCH."

"Who'd want him to?" said Yakko, overhearing Papyrus' comment about Sans. "He's so _humerus_!"

Papyrus frowned at Yakko's pun, then looked at Dot.

"I'LL HAVE LOTS OF ADMIRERS! BUT..."

He rattled his bones. Meanwhile, the Warners' legs started to feel like jelly from jumping so much. Dot didn't feel it that much, but Yakko and Wakko did.

"WILL ANYONE LIKE ME AS SINCERELY AS YOU, DOT?"

"No one'll _ever_ love ya the way I do, Papyrus."

She was the only one who made it through the next attack; the moving gaps threw Yakko and Wakko off, causing them to crash into some of the bones. Both ate a cinnamon bunny to regain health.

"SOMEONE LIKE YOU IS REALLY RARE...AND DATING MIGHT BE KIND OF HARD..."

"What, now ya think I'm too much for ya?"

Yakko intervened.

"I thought ya might say that. After all, our sister might be more than you can handle."

Dot glared at him, thinking he was trying to ruin her chances with Papyrus.

"I MEANT _AFTER_ YOU'RE CAPTURED AND SENT AWAY."

"Actually that makes sense," said Dot. "But I betcha we'll escape within the next minute."

"URGH...WHO CARES! GIVE UP!"

"Sweetie, we can do this all day."

"GIVE UP OR FACE MY... **SPECIAL ATTACK**!"

"This again?" said Yakko.

"YEAH! VERY SOON I WILL USE MY **SPECIAL ATTACK**!"

Yakko threw his siblings over the gaps made by Papyrus' bone attack.

"NOT TOO LONG AND I WILL USE THAT **SPECIAL ATTACK**! THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE...BEFORE MY **SPECIAL ATTACK**!"

The Warners were getting hyped up. The final normal bone attack consisted of a row of bones separated from each other and went by rapidly. Dot tripped over one of the bones and landed on her face. Finally, it was time.

"BEHOLD...! MY **SPECIAL ATTACK**!"

The attack consisted of a little dog chewing a bone. The Warners snickered at the failure.

"WHAT THE HECK! THAT'S MY SPECIAL ATTACK! HEY! YOU STUPID DOG! DO YOU HEAR ME!? STOP MUNCHING ON THAT BONE!"

The Warners laughed as the dog ran away with Papyrus' special attack.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! COME BACK HERE WITH MY SPECIAL ATTACK!"

"That was great!" said Yakko, wiping a tear from his eye.

"...OH WELL. I'LL JUST USE A REALLY COOL REGULAR ATTACK."

"Bring it on," said Yakko.

The Warners got ready for the attack. Papyrus sighed.

"HERE'S AN ABSOLUTELY NORMAL ATTACK."

Two small bones came from Wakko's side, then two more came from Dot's. They were followed by two large bones, each coming from one side. This move was repeated, albeit with the bones constantly changing size and double the amount. This move was also repeated, but with the bones upside down. The previous move was repeated again. The Warners let out yelps and whoops during the complicated yet fun attack. Three bones came from Dot's side, slightly changing size, and three more came from Wakko's side.

"Incoming!" Wakko shouted as he spotted the dog chewing on the bone become part of the attack. Then two large piles of bones came from Dot's side, spelling out some words.

" _Cool_!" Dot shouted.

" _Dude_!" Yakko shouted.

"Bone on a skateboard!" Wakko exclaimed as a bone that looked like what he described came after the bone piles.

At last, the final challenge came. An extremely large pile of bones headed straight towards the Warners. They didn't give enough space for them to land in between them, so they had to jump really high to avoid getting hit. They screamed as they jumped higher than they ever did during the fight. They enjoyed the fact that they could jump higher than what was formerly possible, as shown when the boundary box expanded for them, but they spun out of control. They flew above a giant bone, barely dodging it, then landed on their feet. A tiny bone, which went by slowly, finished the attack. The Warners merely stepped over it, then celebrated their victory.

"Woo hoo!" said Dot.

"We did it!" said Wakko.

"Put 'em here, sibs!" said Yakko.

They gave each other high-fives. Papyrus huffed, exhausted from using so much magic.

"WELLL...!" he said, getting their attention.

The Warners smugly smiled at him, as they had won the battle.

"IT'S CLEAR...YOU CAN'T! DEFEAT ME!"

Yakko rolled his eyes, seeing that Papyrus wouldn't accept his defeat.

"YEAH! I CAN SEE YOU SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS! EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT WEARING BOOTS...BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! THEREFORE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ELECT TO GRANT YOU PITY! I WILL SPARE YOU, HUMANFOLK! NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO ACCEPT MY MERCY."

"Fair enough," said Yakko, shaking Papyrus' hand.

The Warners' souls turned back to normal, along with their color schemes. The boundary box disappeared and the fog cleared up as the Warners found themselves on the other side of the path with Papyrus, who had his back turned to them.

"NYOO HOO HOO..." he wailed. "I CAN'T EVEN STOP SOMEONE AS WEAK AS YOU THREE...UNDYNE'S GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN ME. I'LL NEVER JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD...AND...MY FRIEND QUANTITY WILL REMAIN STAGNANT!"

Papyrus knelt in the snow, defeated. The Warners felt sorry for him.

"Poor Papyrus," said Wakko. "He's so lonely!"

"Yeah," said Yakko, "we gotta do somethin' to make him feel better."

"Follow my lead," said Dot.

She walked over to Papyrus and put her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"Hey, don't be sad. Ya know, my brothers and I had a lot of fun during our little fight. Right, guys?"

"Totally!" said Yakko. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"I could've gone all day!" said Wakko.

"See?" said Dot. "So we were thinkin' about returnin' the favor. Let's be friends, ok?"

Papyrus stood up and turned around to face the Warners.

"REALLY!? YOU WANT TO BE FRIENDS, WITH ME?"

A big smile spread across his face.

"Definitely!" said Dot.

"WELL THEN...I GUESS...I GUESS I CAN MAKE AN ALLOWANCE FOR YOU TOONS! WOWIE!"

He picked up Dot, as she was closest to him, and spun her around. She squealed, surprised by the gesture, but laughed after a second or two, already having gotten used to it.

"WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD OUR FIRST DATE...AND I'VE ALREADY MANAGED TO HIT THE FRIEND ZONE!"

He put her down. She skipped happily back to her brothers, who laughed at Papyrus' innocent comment.

"WHO KNEW THAT ALL I NEEDED TO MAKE SOME PALS...WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE AWFUL PUZZLES AND THEN FIGHT THEM?"

"Works every time!" said Wakko, giving Papyrus a thumbs-up.

"YOU TAUGHT ME A LOT, HUMANFOLK. I HEREBY GRANT YOU PERMISSION TO PASS THROUGH! AND I'LL GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS TO THE SURFACE."

"Alright!" the Warners cheered.

Yakko took out a notepad and a pen, ready to write down Papyrus' directions.

"Ok, shoot."

"CONTINUE FORWARD UNTIL YOU REACH THE END OF THE CAVERN. THEN...WHEN YOU REACH THE CAPITAL, CROSS THE BARRIER. THAT'S THE MAGICAL SEAL TRAPPING US ALL UNDERGROUND. ANYTHING CAN ENTER THROUGH IT, BUT NOTHING CAN EXIT...EXCEPT SOMEONE WITH A POWERFUL SOUL...LIKE YOU!"

"Ya got a point there," said Dot.

"THAT'S WHY THE KING WANTS TO ACQUIRE A HUMAN, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HUMANFOLK, IT'LL HAVE THE SAME EFFECT. HE WANTS TO OPEN THE BARRIER WITH SOUL POWER. THEN US MONSTERS CAN RETURN TO THE SURFACE!"

That didn't sound so bad; if the king wanted their souls, they could just pass through with the human souls while staying alive.

"OH, I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU...TO REACH THE EXIT, YOU WILL HAVE TO PASS...THROUGH THE KING'S CASTLE. **THE KING OF ALL MONSTERS...HE IS...WELL...** HE'S A BIG FUZZY PUSHOVER!"

"No kiddin'!" said Wakko.

"EVERYBODY LOVES THAT GUY. I AM CERTAIN IF YOU JUST SAY...'EXCUSE ME, MR. DREEMURR...CAN I PLEASE GO HOME?'"

Dot giggled at Papyrus trying to imitate them while Yakko and Wakko snickered.

"HE'LL GUIDE YOU RIGHT TO THE BARRIER HIMSELF! AYNWAY! THAT'S ENOUGH TALKING! I'LL BE AT HOME BEING A COOL FRIEND!"

"Thanks for the help," said Yakko.

"NO PROBLEM, YAKKO! AND DOT?"

"Yes, Papyrus?"

"FEEL FREE TO COME BY AND HAVE THAT DATE!"

"I'll see ya tonight, sweetheart."

She blew a kiss to him, which took a physical form and looked like a red, beating heart. Papyrus made a show of catching it, but carefully tucked it under his cape and blushed.

"NYEH HEH HEH!" he chuckled bashfully.

He levitated off the ground, showing he could bend logic just like the Warners and Sans, and walked back to his house.

"I like that guy," said Wakko.

"Me too," said Yakko.

"Isn't he the best?" said Dot.

As he and his siblings walked away, Yakko decided to say something positive about Dot and Papyrus' blossoming relationship.

"Ah, young love. Isn't it beautiful?"


	14. Boys' Night Out

The path led to a waterfall. The sound of rushing water filled them with determination.

"Yo!"

They turned around to see Monster Kid.

"Oh, hey Monster Kid!" said Yakko. "What's up?"

"I'm sneaking out to see Undyne. She's the coolest, right!?"

"Actually we haven't met her," said Dot.

"Oh. Well, I wanna be just like her when I grow up...Hey, don't tell my parents I'm here."

He chuckled.

"Our lips are sealed," said Yakko.

Another voice called out to them.

"All that gives my life validation is explaining the Echo Flower..."

They turned around and saw a blue flower. Apparently, it had a message pre-recorded inside of it.

"No one can know..."

The guy on the left, who was a fish monster, didn't like the flower's message.

"Never trust a flower...That's one of the constants of this world."

"I wonder why..." said Yakko in a sarcastic tone, realizing he forgot about the unpleasant encounters with Flowey.

The flower repeated what the fish man said.

"Oh," said Wakko, "so _that's_ why it's called an Echo flower!"

They took a few steps forward and saw a sentry-station with Sans in it.

"Sans?" said Yakko.

"hey kids."

"What are ya doin' here?"

"what? haven't you seen a guy with two jobs before?"

"Yeah," said Yakko, "but we never thought you'd be one of 'em!"

"well, two jobs means twice as many legally-required breaks."

"Smart," said Dot.

"i'm going to grillby's. wanna come?"

"Sure!" said Yakko.

"Count me in!" said Wakko.

"well, if you insist. i'll pry myself away from my work..."

Yakko chuckled as Sans walked away from the sentry-station and stood in front of the kids.

"Ya comin', Dot?" said Wakko.

"Nah, you guys go on without me."

She looked at Sans.

"I have a date with that brother of yours."

Sans chuckled, approving of the match.

"you have good taste, kiddo. well, have fun."

"Thanks, Sans."

"See ya later, sister sib!" said Yakko.

Dot waved and started to walk away until Yakko got her attention again.

"Oh, and Dot?"

"Yeah?"

"If the date goes well, marry the guy."

"One step ahead of ya," said Dot.

She went towards the direction of Papyrus' house.

"over here," said Sans. "i know a shortcut."

He walked the opposite direction, Yakko and Wakko following closely behind him. In a split second, they were teleported to the bar they passed by earlier that day.

"fast shortcut, huh?"

"And people wonder why we use 'em all the time!" said Yakko.

Sans turned to look at everyone in the bar.

"hey, everyone."

Dogamy and Dogaressa were the first to respond.

"Hey, Sans."

"(Hi, Sans.)"

A big-lipped monster and a drunk bunny went next.

"Greetings, Sans."

"Hiya, Sansy~"

Yakko, Wakko, and Sans walked forward and found three seats next to a bird and a fish.

"Hey Sans," said the fish, "weren't you just here for breakfast a few minutes ago?"

"nah, i haven't had breakfast in at least half an hour. you must be thinking of brunch."

Everyone laughed, including Yakko and Wakko.

"Man, you're on fire today!" said Yakko, slapping Sans on the back. "And ya know what? So's he."

He pointed to a living flame behind the counter as Wakko played the drums to accompany the joke. Everyone else laughed even harder.

"not bad, kiddo."

"Thanks, Sans."

"here, get comfy."

They sat in the seats. Wakko noticed a whoopee cushion on his and slid it under Sans' chair at the last minute. Yakko saw this, then held his nose to tease Sans as he sat on the whoopee cushion.

"Yeesh, Sans! What did ya eat?!"

"Watch where ya sit down," said Wakko, "'cause somebody keeps puttin' whoopee cushions on the seats!"

Sans realized he didn't catch them off guard until it was too late. It surprised him, as no one was ever able to dodge his pranks before.

"you guys are good. anyway, let's order. whaddya want...?"

"Fries!" said Wakko, sticking his tongue out excitedly.

"I'm in the mood for a burger."

"hey, that sounds pretty good. grillby, we'll have a double order of burg and fries for him."

He pointed at Wakko, whose mouth drooled. Grillby, who turned out to be the flame, walked away to prepare their orders as Sans wiped his head with a nearby cloth.

"so, what do you think...of my brother?"

"He's so cool!" said Wakko, thinking of the battle they had earlier.

"Totally," said Yakko. "He's so cool that nobody except Dot'll ever think he's _hot_!"

Wakko laughed as Yakko patted Sans' shoulder.

"No offense, by the way."

"none taken, i make puns about him all the time."

"Seriously though, he's a blast. And you're lucky Dot's not here; she'd probably go on for _days_ talkin' about him!"

"of course he's cool. you'd be cool too if you wore that outfit every day. he'd only take that thing off if he absolutely had to."

"Yeah, we kinda guessed."

Sans shrugged.

"oh well. at least he washes it. and by that i mean he wears it in the shower."

Yakko opened his mouth to make a dirty-minded comment, but was cut off when Grillby brought their food.

"here comes the grub. want some ketchup?"

"Nah," said Yakko, "Wakko's already got some in his Gag Bag."

Wakko pulled out a bottle of ketchup from his Gag Bag, proving Yakko right.

"more for me."

Sans grabbed the ketchup bottle and started drinking the whole thing. Yakko and Wakko were wide-eyed and on the edge of their seats, repeatedly slamming their fists on the counter.

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!"

They cheered as Sans finished drinking all the ketchup and put the bottle back on the table.

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"That was awesome!" said Yakko.

"eh, it's nothin'."

Wakko tried to open his bottle of ketchup, but the lid was stuck. When he finally opened it, almost all of the ketchup sprayed onto the fries. Sans would've offered Wakko his burger had he not seen the smile on his face.

"Just the right amount!" he said happily as he scarfed down his fries.

Yakko stole a few, then put the remaining ketchup from the bottom of the bottle on his burger. Sans momentarily scratched his behind, then continued talking about Papyrus as he and Yakko ate their burgers.

"anyway, cool or not, you have to agree papyrus tries real hard."

"Yeah," said Yakko, "like how he tried his best to make our battle fun."

"or like how he keeps trying to be part of the royal guard. one day, he went to the house of the head of the royal guard...and begged her to let him be in it. of course, she shut the door on him because it was midnight."

Yakko and Wakko snickered.

"but the next day, she woke up and saw him still waiting there. seeing his dedication, she decided to give him warrior training."

"Cool!" said Yakko. "How's it goin' so far?"

"it's, uh, still a work in progress."

"Well why don't we stop by and help out? We're the best fighters around! Just one hit and they're done for!"

"it's always that easy for you toons, huh?"

"Yeah!" said Wakko.

"well, i guess it could help."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"oh yeah, I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure," said Yakko. "Whaddya need?"

Time stood still and the room went dark, as Sans wanted some privacy; Yakko and Wakko couldn't see anything except themselves and Sans. And quite frankly, it was the same way for the big-boned skeleton.

"have you ever heard of a talking flower?"

Yakko froze, immediately thinking about Flowey. Did Sans have something to do with the flower who tried to kill him and his siblings? Wakko nodded nervously, answering Sans' question.

"so you know all about it. the echo flower. they're all over the marsh. say something to them, and they'll repeat it over and over..."

Yakko and Wakko felt relieved that it was wasn't him. But their relief was short-lived.

"Well," said Wakko, "what about it?"

"well, papyrus told me something interesting the other day. sometimes, when no one else is around...a flower appears and whispers things to him. flattery...advice...encouragement...predictions. weird, huh?"

"Totally," said Yakko.

"someone must be using an echo flower to play a trick on him."

Yakko and Wakko exchanged worried glances. Due to the description of the flower, it sounded like Flowey was trying to deceive the naive skeleton. Besides, it only happened the other day, when the Warners left the Ruins and stumbled upon Snowdin.

"keep an eye out, ok?"

"Don't worry," said Yakko, "we've got his backbone."

Sans chuckled at the pun.

"thanks."

Time unfroze and they could see the rest of the bar. Yakko, Wakko, and Sans also finished their meals. Sans got out of his chair.

"welp, that was a long break. i can't believe i let ya pull me away from work for that long. oh, by the way...i'm flat broke. can you foot the bill? it's just 10000G."

"Gotcha covered!" said Wakko, who started to reach for money in his Gag Bag.

"just kidding. grillby, put it on my tab."

He started to leave, but turned around by the door.

"by the way...i was going to say something, but i forgot."

He walked out the door.

"Take care of yourself, ok?" said Yakko.

"Bye, Sans!" Wakko shouted.

Grillby looked at them.

"..."

The bird next to them spoke.

"Grillbz said that he hoped you like the food."

"We did," said Yakko. "See? Not a single crumb!"

He pointed to his plate, proving him right again.

"I 'put out a line' for some girls today," said the fish. "Someone told me there are plenty of fish in the sea...Well, I'm taking that seriously. I'm literally going to make out with a fish."

"Good for you," said Yakko.

As Yakko and Wakko started to leave, the other monsters in the bar tried to talk to them. Dogamy was the first to converse and sounded seemingly menacing.

"You better watch where you sit down in here, kids."

"Why's that?" said Yakko, challenging the dog man he fought the previous day.

"Because that big guy WILL jump into your lap and give you lots of love and attention."

Dogamy smiled at them as Greater Dog barked.

"I thought so," said Yakko, smiling back.

Dogaressa was next.

"(We're sentries, but we never get any respect. I wish those skeletons would throw us a bone. We love bones.)"

"I'm thinking of getting a spiked collar to show off my personality," said Doggo. "It makes a statement like...'Attach a leash to me and take me for a walk please.'"

"Go for it!" said Yakko, giggling with Wakko over the ironic comment.

Lesser Dog was playing poker against itself and appeared to be losing. The bird talked to Yakko and Wakko about the dogs, since the boys were still confused about the Royal Guard.

"Those dogs are part of the _Royal Guard_ , the elite military group led by Undyne. She's rude, loud, and beats up everybody who gets in her way...It's no wonder all the kids want to be like her when they grow up!"

"I like how they think," said Wakko.

Then, a donkey-horse hybrid next to the broken jukebox spoke up.

"The capital's getting pretty crowded, so I've heard they're going to start moving here. Hmmm...I don't want to see the erasure of our local culture. But I definitely want to see some city slickers slip onto their butts!"

"Hmmm..." the big-lipped monster pondered out loud, "Isn't human food different from monster food? It does things like 'spoil.' And when you eat it, it passes all the way through your whole body."

"Sounds about right," said Wakko.

"Disgusting. I'd love to try it sometime."

"No matter where I go," said the drunk bunny, "it's the same menu, the same people...Help! I want some new drinks an' h-h-h-hot guys!"

Yakko and Wakko shrugged as they left the bar. Feeling the snow below his feet, Wakko thought about his sister.

_I wonder how Dot's doin'..._


	15. Dot's First Date

Back in the fog, which was so thick that nobody could see her, Dot summoned a wardrobe. She placed it on the ground and entered, locking it from the inside.

"Ok," she said to herself, "what am I gonna wear?"

Dot knew this was gonna be her first date, so she had to look her best. She looked at a variety of dresses she had; they were of different types and color. She came across a long-sleeved dress with light and dark green stripes, a long sleeveless magenta dress that covered her feet, a short-sleeved purple dress with rhinestones and a poofy skirt, and many more.

"No, too fancy, not fancy enough, too dull, too bright, too long, too short..."

She eventually found a pink knee-length skirt identical to the one she was currently wearing and some pieces of cloth. She sewed the cloth and the skirt together to make the outfit she needed. The result was a pink dress with a knee-length skirt and puffy sleeves. To top it off, she added some sparkles on it to make her stand out.

"Much better."

Deciding to do something different with her ears, she took off the flower keeping them up and replaced it with a simple hair tie. She put the dress on and applied some mascara to her eyelashes. Looking at herself in the mirror, she gasped and a big smile appeared on her face.

"Perfect!"

She unlocked the wardrobe and stepped out, discarding it. She skipped away to Papyrus' place and saw him standing outside the door. She waved excitedly and got his attention, running over to him.

"Hiya, Papyrus!"

Papyrus was very happy to see her.

"HELLO, DOT! SO YOU CAME BACK TO HAVE A DATE WITH ME! YOU MUST BE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS..."

"Well I said I'd come tonight, didn't I? Besides, I didn't dress up all fancy for nothin'."

"TRUE...I MUST SAY, YOU LOOK VERY PRETTY IN THAT OUTFIT."

Dot blushed a little.

"Thanks, sweetie."

"IN THAT CASE, I'LL HAVE TO TAKE YOU SOMEPLACE REALLY SPECIAL...A PLACE I LIKE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME!"

"How thoughtful of ya!"

He walked away from his house, Dot following closely behind him.

"Pretty night, huh?"

"YES, IT IS QUITE LOVELY...BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT AS LOVELY AS THE SURFACE!"

"I guess you're right."

"IF WE WERE ON THE SURFACE, WE'D BE UNDERNEATH THE MOONLIGHT! AND COUNTLESS STARS...!"

Papyrus continued to go on about how he loved the idea of them being on the surface together. He stopped mid-sentence as he felt something grab him. He looked down to see Dot holding his hand. She sighed happily and rested her head on his arm. Papyrus smiled at her, then turned the other direction, still holding Dot's hand. Dot would've asked him where they were going, but it didn't matter as long as she was with him. He let go when they stopped...and they ended up right where they started.

"MY HOUSE!"

He opened the door, letting the two of them in. Dot chuckled at his silliness before going inside.

"WELCOME TO SCENIC MY HOUSE! ENJOY AND TAKE YOUR TIME!"

"Gladly."

She looked around. The ground was covered in a purple and blue-striped carpet, and various items in the living room included a table with a rock, a stool with a joke book on it, a green couch, a sock, and a TV.

"Nice place ya got here, Pap."

Dot took a look inside the joke book. Inside the joke book was a quantum physics book. Inside the quantum physics book was another joke book. And inside the joke book was another quantum physics book. Dot decided to stop looking through it and closed the book.

"My head hurts from looking through those books," Dot muttered.

"HAVE A SEAT. IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER!"

Dot couldn't say no to his enthusiasm, so she sat on the couch, which made a jangling sound. Finding a bunch of loose coins inside the couch, she received 20 pieces of gold. Then she grabbed the remote.

"I wonder what's on TV down here..."

A striped screen, one she recognized as a "standby" screen, appeared on the TV. Papyrus lit up.

"OOH, IT'S MY FAVORITE GAME-SHOW!"

It said " _ STAY TUNED FOR A NEW PROGRAM - MTT. _ "

"WHAT! IT'S USUALLY BETTER THAN THIS! THIS IS JUST A BAD EPISODE! DON'T JUDGE ME!"

"I don't judge ya; I hate it when that screen pops up. It's so annoying!"

"I KNOW, RIGHT?!"

Next to the TV, she looked at the sock with a string of notes on it.

_ SANS! PLEASE PICK UP YOUR SOCK! _

_ ok. _

_ DON'T PUT IT BACK DOWN! MOVE IT! _

_ ok. _

Dot laughed between notes.

_ YOU MOVED IT TWO INCHES! MOVE IT TO YOUR ROOM! _

_ ok. _

_ AND DON'T BRING IT BACK! _

_ ok. _

_ IT'S STILL HERE! _

_ didn't you just say not to bring it back to my room? _

_ FORGET IT! _

By the time she finished reading the notes, Dot was still laughing.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?"

"Those," she responded, pointing to the notes. "Those notes are comedy gold!"

Papyrus was stunned, but his smile returned to his face a few seconds later.

"WELL, I'M GLAD YOU FIND THEM HUMOROUS."

"Hey, what's that rock doing on the table?"

"THIS IS MY BROTHER'S PET ROCK. HE ALWAYS FORGETS TO FEED IT. AS USUAL, I HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY."

He looked annoyed. Dot took a closer look at the rock, which was covered in sprinkles.

"Uh, Papyrus? Ya know rocks don't eat, right?"

"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW COULD THAT BE?!"

Dot giggled.

"They don't have mouths, silly!"

"OH."

She entered the kitchen, looking at the stove.

"MY BROTHER ALWAYS GOES OUT TO EAT. BUT...RECENTLY, HE TRIED 'BAKING' SOMETHING."

"Really? What'd he try to make?"

"IT WAS LIKE...A QUICHE. BUT FILLED WITH A SUGARY, NON-EGG SUBSTANCE. HOW ABSURD!"

"Hehe, kinda sounds like pie. Ya got anything in the fridge?"

"AH-HA! INTERESTED IN MY FOOD MUSEUM? PLEASE. PERUSE MY CULINARY ART SHOW."

Dot snickered at what she saw. Half of the fridge was filled with containers all labelled "spaghetti" while the other half contained nothing but an empty bag of chips. Then she pointed to the trash can.

"What's that?" she asked, wanting to know what he nicknamed it.

"THAT'S THE TRASH CAN. FEEL FREE TO VISIT IT ANY TIME."

Dot was slightly disappointed that he didn't give the trash can a unique name. She turned back and noticed that the sink was so high that only people as tall as Papyrus could reach it.

"Whoa..."

"IMPRESSED? I INCREASED THE HEIGHT OF MY SINK. NOW I CAN FIT MORE BONES UNDER IT! TAKE A LOOKSY!"

She opened the door under the sink-top, finding the annoying dog.

"WHAT!? CATCH THAT MEDDLING CANINE!"

The dog ran away.

"Oh, no you don't!" Dot shouted.

She tried to pounce on the dog, but missed and hit the floor. Papyrus was distracted by this, taking his attention off the dog, and extended his arm.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, DOT?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She took his hand and he helped her up.

"Thanks, Papy. You're such a gentleman!"

"ANY TIME, HUMANFOLK."

They heard the door slam behind them and realized the dog escaped.

"CURSES!"

On cue, Sans popped out from his room upstairs, playing trombone music. Dot could hear her brothers laughing as well, indicating they were hiding behind the door.

"I know you're in there!" she shouted.

"We know!" Wakko shouted back as Sans closed the door.

"SANS! STOP PLAGUING MY LIFE WITH INCIDENTAL MUSIC!"

Dot laughed at Papyrus' outburst, rolling on the floor.

"That was awesome," she said upon recovering, wiping a tear from her eye.

"DO I AMUSE YOU?"

"How couldn't ya?"

She walked up the stairs. Papyrus waited for her in the living room, as she was able to hear him from upstairs. She decided to leave the door with keep out signs on it for later and looked at a picture of a bone instead.

"A CLASSIC IMAGE. IT ALWAYS REMINDS ME OF WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN LIFE."

Dot shrugged off his comment and walked to Sans' room, which had colorful flames coming out the crack at the bottom of the door. Unfortunately, the door was locked, so she headed back over to the door at the top of the stairs.

"THAT'S MY ROOM! IF YOU'VE FINISHED LOOKING AROUND...WE COULD GO IN AND...DO WHATEVER PEOPLE DO WHEN THEY DATE?"

Dot covered her eyes, interpreting his confused remark as something suggestive.

"Papyrus, ya dirty dog!"

Yakko came back out of Sans' room and blew a kiss to the readers.

"Goodnight everybody!"

Sans also came back out.

"hey dot, stay outta the bone zone this time. ok?"

Dot gagged. It was “finger prince” all over again. Meanwhile, Sans and Yakko chuckled, closing the door behind them.

"Come on, Papyrus. Let's go inside."

Papyrus walked up the stairs and held the door open for Dot.

"AFTER YOU."

"Aw, you're too sweet."

Upon entering the room, Dot's eyes widened excitedly. Papyrus had just about everything anyone would want in their room; a computer, a bookshelf, action figures, cool decorations, and an awesome car bed.

"Whoa...sweet room!"

She looked to the side, where a box filled with bones was placed next to her.

"HEY, THOSE ARE ALL THE ATTACKS I USED ON YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS. GREAT MEMORIES, HUH?"

"Yeah," Dot sighed happily, remembering how he asked her out.

"SEEMS LIKE IT WAS ONLY YESTERDAY...EVEN THOUGH IT BASICALLY JUST HAPPENED."

Dot chuckled, then went towards the computer.

"Dang, this thing's old!"

"THE INTERNET! I'M QUITE POPULAR THERE. I'M JUST A DOZEN AWAY...FROM A DOUBLE DIGIT FOLLOWER COUNT!"

"Wait, doesn't that mean you have negative followers? How does that even work?"

"I DON'T REALLY KNOW...OF COURSE, FAME HAS A STEEP PRICE. A JEALOUS TROLL HAS BESIEGED MY ONLINE PERSONA. ALWAYS SENDING ME BAD PUNS IN A GOOFY FONT..."

Dot laughed, immediately recognizing the "jealous troll" as Sans.

_ Good ol' Sans. _

She looked at the closet.

"Hey Papyrus, got any extra skeletons in there?"

"NO WAY! YOU CAN LOOK INSIDE FOR PROOF."

She opened the door and saw clothes neatly hung up. She closed it afterwards and headed over to the bookshelf, taking out one of the books.

"Ya got quite the library goin' on here, Pap."

"THAT BOOK'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES. 'ADVANCED PUZZLE CONSTRUCTION FOR CRITICAL MINDS.'"

"Sounds pretty big-headed to me," she responded, putting it away and taking out another book. "How about this one?"

"THAT NEXT BOOK'S ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITES. 'PEEK-A-BOO WITH FLUFFY BUNNY.' THE ENDING ALWAYS GETS ME."

Dot giggled at the strange diversity of books. She stopped upon seeing a familiar symbol on a flag Papyrus hung up on the wall.

_ Hey, isn't that the Jolly Roger? _

"ISN'T THAT FLAG NEATO? UNDYNE FOUND IT AT THE BAY...I THINK IT'S FROM THE HUMAN WORLD?"

"Yup!" said Dot. "It's a pirate flag; I should know, I've been on one of their ships."

"WOWIE, HOW COOL! NOW, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING. WHY WOULD A HUMAN FLAG...HAVE A COOL SKELETON ON IT? WELL...I HAVE A THEORY."

"Shoot."

"I THINK HUMANS...MUST HAVE DESCENDED FROM SKELETONS! NYEH HEH HEH!"

"Actually, humans are just skeletons with squishy armor called 'skin'."

"REALLY? THAT'S...MUCH BETTER THAN MY THEORY! HOW COULD I NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT?!"

Then she headed over to the table.

"Look at all these cool action figures!"

"AH, YES. THEY'RE GREAT REFERENCES FOR THEORETICAL BATTLE SCENARIOS."

"How do ya have so many?"

"WELL, LET'S JUST SAY THEY'RE FROM...A CHUBBY, SMILING MAN WHO LOVES TO SURPRISE PEOPLE."

Dot gasped.

"Ya mean...?"

"YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT! SANTA!"

Dot jumped on Papyrus' car bed.

"This is the coolest bed ever!"

"I'M GLAD YOU THINK SO, DOT! IF I EVER GET TO THE SURFACE...I'D LIKE TO DRIVE DOWN A LONG HIGHWAY. WIND IN MY HAIR...SUN ON MY SKIN..."

Both fantasized the image of Papyrus driving his car bed on the highway. Dot inserted herself in the vision, sitting next to him and enjoying the ride.

"OF COURSE, THAT'S JUST A DREAM. SO INSTEAD I CRUISE WHILE I SNOOZE."

"Tell ya what: when I take ya to the surface, we're gonna make it a dream come true."

"REALLY? YOU WOULD DO THAT FOR ME?"

"Of course, honey! It'd be a lot of fun."

Papyrus smiled, clearly touched. Dot loved seeing him happy.

"SO, UM...IF YOU'VE SEEN EVERYTHING...DO YOU WANT TO START THE DATE?"

Dot put on a determined smile.

"Let's do this."

"OK! DATING START!"

Dot's soul became activated as if it was a battle and the entire room went completely black, rendering her able to see only herself and Papyrus.

"Oh, this is so exciting!"

"HERE WE ARE! ON OUR DATE! I'VE ACTUALLY NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE."

"Me neither, looks like we'll have to wing it."

"DON'T WORRY! YOU CAN'T SPELL 'PREPARED' WITHOUT SEVERAL LETTERS FROM MY NAME!"

Dot was counting on her fingers how many letters in 'Papyrus' were in the word 'prepared'. She stopped counting when Papyrus took out a book.

"I SNAGGED AN OFFICIAL DATING RULEBOOK FROM THE LIBRARY! WE'RE READY TO HAVE A GREAT TIME!"

"Alright!"

"LET'S SEE..."

He opened the book as Dot adjusted her hair tie.

"STEP ONE...PRESS THE [C] KEY ON YOUR KEYBOARD FOR 'DATING HUD.'"

"Gotcha covered."

Stretching her arms out, Dot summoned a keyboard and pressed the "C" key. The day of the week appeared with a moon sign, along with a dog radar, a "REEL IT IN!" bar, a crime meter, a population graph, and an egg that most likely had no purpose.

"WOWIE! I FEEL SO INFORMED! I THINK WE'RE READY FOR STEP TWO! 'STEP TWO...ASK THEM ON A DATE.' AHEM!"

Dot gave him her undivided attention.

"HUMANFOLK! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS...WILL GO ON A DATE WITH YOU!"

Rolling his "R's" on "GREAT", Dot nearly swooned.

"Ya already had me since our little fight."

Papyrus gasped and had a big smile on his face, slightly blushing.

"R-REALLY? WOWIE! I GUESS THAT MEANS IT'S TIME FOR PART THREE! 'STEP THREE...PUT ON NICE CLOTHES TO SHOW YOU CARE!'"

He paused momentarily.

"WAIT A SECOND."

"What?"

"'WEAR CLOTHING...' THAT SPARKLY DRESS...YOU'RE WEARING CLOTHING RIGHT NOW!"

Dot laughed at this silly remark.

"What, did ya think I was gonna come naked?"

"WELL, UH, NO. NOT ONLY THAT...EARLIER TODAY YOU WERE ALSO WEARING CLOTHING! NO...COULD IT BE?"

He blushed even more. The face he made was something Dot found adorable.

_ Aw, he's so  _ cute  _ when he blushes... _

However, it made her slightly uncomfortable as well. After all, despite having fallen in love with Papyrus, Dot still wanted to be the cutest.

"YOU'VE WANTED TO DATE ME FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!?"

"Ever since I first laid my eyes on ya."

Papyrus looked shocked as the dating hud disappeared.

"NO! YOU PLANNED IT ALL!"

"Ok, ok, ya got me."

"YOU'RE WAY BETTER AT DATING THAN I AM! N-NOOOO! YOUR DATING POWER...!"

A new bar labelled "DATE POWER" appeared. The bar was a quarter full, signifying Dot was getting stronger. She beamed with pride.

"NYEH!" Papyrus declared, sweating. "NYEH HEH HEH!"

A rectangular meter labelled "TENSION" was going off the charts. The dating start turned into a dating fight, but Dot didn't mind, as she was having a lot of fun.

"Aw, yeah! Now I'm feelin' it!"

"DON'T THINK YOU'VE BESTED ME YET! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS...HAVE NEVER BEEN BEATEN AT DATING AND I NEVER WILL!"

"We'll see about that. Can ya keep up with me?"

"I CAN  _ EASILY  _ KEEP UP WITH YOU! YOU SEE, I, TOO, CAN WEAR CLOTHING!"

"Ya already are, sweetie."

"BUT I ALWAYS WEAR MY 'SPECIAL' CLOTHES UNDERNEATH MY REGULAR CLOTHES! JUST IN CASE SOMEONE HAPPENS TO ASK ME ON A DATE! BEHOLD!"

He took off his normal clothes to reveal his secret style: a backward baseball cap, a t-shirt with the words "Cool Dude" on them, small shorts with buttons, gloves with striped trims, knee socks, sneakers, and basketballs on his shoulders. Dot laughed at how adorably dorky, nerdy, and old-school it was. She would've made fun of anyone who wore something like that, but it was surprisingly fitting for Papyrus.

"NYEH! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY SECRET STYLE!?"

"I love it! So 90’s~"

She gave him a thumbs-up.

"NO! A GENUINE COMPLIMENT...!"

Dot's dating power filled up three-fourths of the bar.

"HOWEVER...YOU DON'T TRULY UNDERSTAND THE HIDDEN POWER OF THIS OUTFIT! THEREFORE...WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS INVALID!"

Dot lost a little bit of dating power.

"Papyrus, you fiend!"

"NYEH HEH HEH! THIS DATE WON'T ESCALATE ANY FURTHER! ...UNLESS YOU FIND MY SECRET! BUT THAT WON'T HAPPEN!"

"Oh, really? We'll see about that."

She decided to inspect Papyrus' body.

"Maybe there's something in those shoes..."

"THE SOULS OF HUMANS AND HUMANFOLK ARE STRONGER THAN MONSTER SOULS...BUT THE SOLES OF OUR SHOES ON THE OTHER HAND...! ...ARE ABOUT THE SAME."

"Anything in these babies?" she asked, stroking his legs.

"THERE'S NO SECRET TO MY LEGS. JUST HARD WORK AND PERSEVERANCE..."

"How about the shirt?"

"THIS SHIRT DIDN'T ORIGINALLY SAY 'COOL,' BUT I IMPROVED IT. EXPERT TIP: ALL CLOTHING ARTICLES CAN BE IMPROVED THIS WAY."

"Being honest with ya, this dress was a skirt until I sewed the sleeves and the top to it. So I guess that makes us even."

She ran her hands through his biceps. This made both Dot and Papyrus feel good.

"I SEE. I SEE. YOU LIKE CARESSING MY BICEPS WITH A FLOATING HEART."

"Mmm-hmm."

"BUT WHO DOESN'T?"

"Exactly, sweetheart."

Then she knelt down and took his hand, staring at him with puppy dog eyes.

"HOLDING MY HAND SO I'LL TELL YOU THE ANSWER..."

Papyrus blushed again. Dot felt like she would have melted any minute. Luckily, he stopped blushing after a few seconds.

"NO! I MUST RESIST!"

Dot got up and tapped her foot on the ground. Finally, she realized where the secret was.

"And what about the hat?"

"MY HAT...? MY HAT. MY HAT! NYEH HEH HEH!"

He lifted his hat off his head to reveal a neatly-wrapped box under it.

"W-WELL THEN...YOU FOUND MY SECRET! I SUPPOSE I HAVE NO CHOICE!"

Dot gasped.

"Is that for me?"

"YES! IT'S A PRESENT...A PRESENT J-JUST FOR YOU!"

"Aw, ya shouldn't have!"

Dot sat on Papyrus' bicep to open the present. Inside the box she found a plate of spaghetti. She hopped off Papyrus' bicep and stood in front of him once more.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?"

"Of course I do! It's-"

"SPAGHETTI." he said at the same time as her. "THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, ISN'T IT?"

"Yeah, how did ya know?"

"I DON'T KNOW...BUT YOU'RE RIGHT! YET OH-SO WRONG! THIS AIN'T ANY PLAIN OL' PASTA! THIS IS AN ARTISAN'S WORK! SILKEN SPAGHETTI, FINELY AGED IN AN OAKEN CASK...THEN COOKED BY ME, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS!"

"Well now I'm impressed! I gotta have a bite."

"YES, DOT. IT'S TIME TO END THIS AND EAT IT! THERE'S NO WAY THIS CAN GO ANY FURTHER!"

Luckily, the spaghetti came with a fork. Dot took a small bite of the spaghetti...her face immediately scrunched up. The taste was indescribable. At that moment, she felt sorry for Wakko, who tried to eat it frozen and couldn't digest it. But she did her best to hide her disgust, which apparently was enough to fool Papyrus.

"WHAT A PASSIONATE EXPRESSION! YOU MUST REALLY LOVE MY COOKING!"

Dot forced herself to choke down the spaghetti for Papyrus when he spoke.

"Yeah," she managed to cough out, "it's so good I almost forgot to swallow it."

She summoned a bottle of Coca-Cola to drink away the foul taste.

"AND BY EXTENSION, ME!"

He blushed again, but Dot was too busy drinking the soda to notice.

"MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN I DO!"

Dot's dating power overpowered Papyrus' and started filling up the bar again.

"AUGH! URRRGH! NOOOOOOOO!"

Dot stumbled as the ground shook beneath her. The entire space turned white, not allowing her to see anything. Suddenly, Papyrus grabbed both of her hands and pulled her close to him. They were floating in the air as a strong, unexpected breeze blew them upwards.

"DOT. IT'S CLEAR NOW. YOU'RE MADLY IN LOVE WITH ME."

"It's true!"

She ended up leaning closer to Papyrus.

"EVERYTHING YOU DO. EVERYTHING YOU SAY. IT'S ALL BEEN FOR MY SAKE."

"Ya know me too well, Papyrus! I don't know how you do it!"

At this point, they were nose to nose with each other.

"DOT. I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY, TOO. IT'S TIME FOR ME TO EXPRESS MY FEELINGS. IT'S TIME THAT I TOLD YOU."

Dot leaned in even closer. If they kissed, then their relationship was sealed.

"I, PAPYRUS..."

She was one inch away. But before she could kiss him, the breeze disappeared and they floated back to the ground. Papyrus let go of her and she was able to see him again. Dot was confused. Why were they stopping?

"I...UM...BOY, IS IT HOT IN HERE, OR IS IT JUST ME?"

"Here, use my fan if ya need to."

She handed him a pink fan, but Papyrus refused to take it.

"...OH, SHOOT."

"What's wrong, hon?"

"DOT, I...I'M SORRY. I DON'T LIKE YOU THE WAY YOU LIKE ME. ROMANTICALLY, I MEAN."

Dot was shocked at his apology. She was about to speak up, but he cut her off.

"I MEAN, I TRIED VERY HARD TO! I THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE YOU FLIRTED WITH ME...THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU. THEN, ON THE DATE, FEELINGS WOULD BLOSSOM FORTH! I WOULD BE ABLE TO MATCH YOUR PASSION FOR ME! BUT ALAS...I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS...HAVE FAILED. I FEEL JUST THE SAME AS BEFORE. AND INSTEAD, BY DATING YOU...I HAVE ONLY DRAWN YOU DEEPER...INTO YOUR INTENSE LOVE FOR ME! A DARK PRISON OF PASSION, WITH NO ESCAPE. HOW COULD I HAVE DONE THIS TO MY DEAR FRIEND...?"

Papyrus felt disappointed in himself for letting Dot down. But to his surprise, she wasn't mad. She put her hand on his back and comforted him.

"It's ok, Papy. Ya know, pretty much every other guy I fell for ran away from me when I flirted with them."

"REALLY?"

"Yeah. But ya actually  _ tried  _ to feel the same way! Ya don't mind the crazy things I do! And ya know what, I couldn't ask for more outta ya."

"THANKS, DOT."

"No problem, sweetheart."

Papyrus felt better, but soon came to a realization.

"NO! WAIT! I CAN'T FAIL AT ANYTHING! DOT! I'LL HELP YOU THROUGH THESE TRYING TIMES! I'LL KEEP BEING YOUR COOL FRIEND...AND ACT LIKE THIS ALL NEVER HAPPENED. AFTER ALL, YOU ARE VERY GREAT."

"Awww, thanks."

"IT WOULD BE TRAGIC TO LOSE YOUR FRIENDSHIP. SO PLEASE...DON'T CRY BECAUSE I WON'T KISS YOU. BECAUSE, I DON'T EVEN HAVE LIPS."

"True, but I wouldn't have minded doin' all the work."

Dot looked away, wondering if she'd ever find the perfect guy for her. If it wasn't Papyrus, then who could it be? Papyrus noticed this and knelt down to meet her at eye-level, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"HEY, SOMEDAY, YOU'LL FIND SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME. WELL, NO. THAT'S NOT TRUE. BUT I'LL HELP YOU SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

"You'd really do that? How sweet of ya! But until then, you'll have to let me shower you with my affection. Deal?"

"DEAL."

He shook her hand.

"WELL, GOTTA GO."

"Me too. My brothers are gonna wonder what's takin' so long!"

They changed back into their normal clothes and headed out the door. Papyrus, being the gentleman he was, held the door open for Dot.

"Ya know what? I had fun tonight."

"HEY, ME TOO! OH, AND IF YOU EVER NEED TO REACH ME...HERE'S MY PHONE NUMBER."

He gave her a piece of paper with a number on it. Dot took it and started punching it into her phone.

"YOU CAN CALL ME ANY TIME! PLATONICALLY."

"Got it. Well, see ya later!"

He was about to leave, but Dot quickly remembered something and tugged at his cape.

"Oh, and Papyrus?"

He bent down.

"YES?"

"Thanks for givin' me a chance."

She kissed his cheek, then skipped away happily. Papyrus stood there, flustered and blushing intensely, but managed to pull himself together and walked the other way. Meanwhile, Dot met up with her brothers outside of Grillby's.

"So, how'd it go?" said Yakko.

"It didn't work out, but we're still friends. He even gave me his phone number!"

She showed them her contacts, Papyrus appearing when she scrolled down to the "P" section.

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"Sounds like ya had fun," said Yakko.

"Yup! And I gotta admit, it was a pretty hot date."

Dot fanned herself as Yakko nudged her playfully. The trio walked forward, ready to leave Snowdin and discover the next area of the Underground.

"By the way," said Yakko, "Sans told us the weirdest thing back at Grillby's..."


	16. A Dash for Life

The thought of Flowey manipulating Papyrus made Dot feel protective of her sweet, innocent skele-crush. She was naturally the most active of the Papyrus Protection Squad, but it didn't stop Yakko and Wakko from doing their part either. After all, a friend of Dot was a friend of theirs. Besides, Sans was counting on them to help his brother. Upon leaving Snowdin, they removed their winter attire and stopped by a sign next to a box.

_ (This is a box. You can put an item in or take an item out. Why would you, though? You can't use items when they're in the box! Sincerely, a box hater.) _

The Warners snickered.

"Actually," said Yakko, "they have a point. Why would we need the boxes when we have Wakko's Gag Bag?"

They found themselves at a crossroads. They could walk across the waterfall with rocks falling their way or take a bridge instead. Choosing the drier path, they came across an echo flower.

"I swore I saw something...Behind that rushing water..."

They looked behind the waterfall.

"Hey," said Wakko, "what's a camera doing back here?"

"I dunno," said Dot. "I guess people are always watching our adventures. Or reading them."

She winked to the readers, then proceeded to make silly faces into the camera with her brothers. Whoever was watching them must've been laughing at their antics. Seeing the bridge led to a dead end, they walked across the water and found a secret cave at the halfway point. Inside were two mushrooms and a tutu.

"Sweet, a tutu!"

Dot tried it on.

"Perfect fit, but it's a little dusty."

She brushed off some dust, then took it off and handed it to Wakko, who put it in his Gag Bag. Leaving the cave and continuing forward, they came across large strands of grass. Their shadows started to form as well.

"What's with the weird lighting?" Yakko asked. "We don't need any unnecessary tension."

They walked into the grass, which hid them from a figure lurking in the shadows. They could tell it was a knight with a red ponytail coming out from the head. Their appearance was probably what caused the sudden lighting change, as if the Underground warned them about the person being nothing but trouble.

"This place is more self-aware than I thought," said Wakko.

"Is that Papyrus?" said Dot, seeing the skeleton walk up to the knight.

"Shhh!" said Yakko.

"H...HI, UNDYNE! I'M HERE WITH MY DAILY REPORT...UHHH...REGARDING THOSE HUMANFOLK I CALLED YOU ABOUT EARLIER..."

"So  _ this _ is the Undyne Papyrus talked about," said Yakko. "Not sure if she's Hello Nurse worthy yet..."

Dot elbowed him. They only heard Papyrus' voice, but were unable to hear Undyne as she spoke.

"...HUH? DID I FIGHT THEM? Y-YES! OF COURSE I DID! I FOUGHT THEM VALIANTLY!"

Papyrus was very nervous when talking to Undyne. The Warners could sense something was amiss.

"...WHAT? DID I CAPTURE THEM...? W-W-WELL..."

The Warners became worried about their friend, especially Dot. Something was just not right about Undyne, even if they hadn't heard what she said or what she'd say next. Dot tensed up and put her hand by her skirt, ready to pull out her mallet and protect Papyrus against his mentor. Yakko put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Not yet," he whispered.

"NO. I TRIED VERY HARD, UNDYNE, BUT IN THE END...I FAILED."

The Warners could feel Undyne's glare burning through his skull.

"...W-WHAT? YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THE WARNERS' SOULS YOURSELF..."

Papyrus tried to be brave and stand up for the toons. Although he knew they were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, in the end they were still just kids. If Undyne proved to be too strong and killed them, he wouldn't forgive himself for not trying to stop it.

"BUT UNDYNE, YOU DON'T H-HAVE TO DESTROY THEM! YOU SEE...YOU SEE-"

Undyne cut him off. Papyrus backed away, which made Dot gasp. From what she could get out of the situation, Undyne was insulting and threatening poor Papyrus. This was what finally made her snap.

"That's it. Let me at her!"

She reached for her mallet and tried to charge, but Yakko stopped her.

"No! It'll make things worse."

Dot breathed heavily, trying hard to contain herself. Wakko stood by them, ready to grab Dot if she couldn't take it and tried to pounce on the knight.

"..."

"If she hurts my Papyrus, she's  _ dead _ ."

"...I UNDERSTAND. I'LL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN."

Papyrus sadly walked away in defeat. But once he was out of Undyne's sight, he pulled something out of his cape. It was the heart-shaped kiss Dot blew to him after their battle. He gently stroked it, feeling its warmth and beat.

"DON'T WORRY," he whispered. "I'LL PROTECT YOU."

Dot saw this out of the corner of her eye and felt her heart skip a beat, grateful that Papyrus didn't truly betray her and her brothers. She was also relieved that Undyne didn't hurt him, but remained angry at what she imagined the knight had said. Her fury had returned and fire burned in her eyes.

"Now she's gonna get it."

Yakko had a bad feeling about it. He could sense when he and his siblings were truly in danger, and from what he saw, Undyne meant business.

"Dot, wait-"

It was too late. She stepped on a twig, alerting Undyne that someone was watching her. Yakko dropped to the ground, still managing to keep a whisper.

"Get down!"

His siblings dropped with him as Undyne took a few steps forward, taking out her spear. The Warners held their breaths, ready to attack if she discovered them. She scanned her surroundings, but the grass hid the toons well. She put away her spear and disappeared. Dot was disappointed that she couldn't defend Papyrus, but Yakko believed it was probably for the best. Besides, Dot would have more chances later. It was highly likely that their paths would cross again.

"That was close," said Yakko.

"Ya know," said Dot, "we could've just attacked her right there like we always do."

"It's different this time," said Yakko. "Somethin' tells me we're in more danger than we think."

They got out of the grass, then saw Monster Kid come out with them.

"Monster Kid?" said Wakko.

"Yo...did you see the way she was staring at you...?"

"Yeah," said Yakko, "it was pretty intimidating."

"I was too busy looking at the way she was treating Papyrus," Dot growled. "Did ya see the way she made threats at him?"

Monster Kid didn't hear her.

"That...was AWESOME! I'm SOOOO jealous! What'd you do to get her attention...?"

"Nothin' much," said Yakko, his smug smile returning to his face. "I just showed her how amazing I am."

"Actually," said Dot, rolling her eyes at her brother, "I stepped on a twig."

Monster Kid chuckled.

"You should try doin' it sometime," said Yakko. "She oughta notice ya then!"

"I hope. C'mon! Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!"

"We'll meet ya up ahead, Monster Kid!" said Wakko.

"Ok!"

He started running, but fell on his face. Wakko would've helped him, since he didn't have any arms, but he managed to get up by himself and scamper away.

"Looks like we actually blend in for once," said Yakko.

A feeling of dread at the thought of Undyne hung over the Warners, but they still felt determined. Passing by another twinkling star, they found out that more puzzles were ahead.

" _ When four Bridge Seeds align in the water, _ " Yakko read, " _ they will sprout. _ "

Yakko gave it a try, putting the seeds across the river. They blossomed and they crossed to the other side. Suddenly, Aaron flexed in. He looked like he was part horse, part merman. Thinking quickly, Yakko flexed back. Aaron flexed twice as hard.

"Are ya up for a flexin' contest?" Yakko asked.

"Ok," Aaron responded, "flex more."

He winked. He flexed towards the Warners, who had to dodge. Wakko got hit in the face. He flexed harder in response. Aaron flexed thrice as hard.

"Nice! I won't lose tho"

He winked again.

"We'll see about that!" said Dot.

His attacks increased, so the Warners had to work harder to dodge. Luckily, all they had to dodge were drops of sweat. Dot flexed next. Aaron flexed so hard he flexed himself out of the room. He tossed thirty pieces of gold at them.

"We won, we won, we won, we won!" they cheered.

When the encounter was over, Wakko grabbed the four seeds on the ground and put them on a lake with a sign in the middle. He walked over and read the sign.

" _ Congratulations! You failed the puzzle!  _ Aw, poo! I got jipped!"

Yakko and Dot were laughing at his epic fail. Wakko walked to a sign on the wall that was next to a bell. The sign said "If an error is made, the Bell Blossom can call Bridge Seeds back to where they started." Wakko rang the bell and the seeds returned. Trying again, he went to the river separating them from the other side. He examined it closely, then figured out how to solve the puzzle.

"I got this," he told his siblings.

He made a vertical path with the seeds, making them blossom.

"Not bad," said Yakko.

They crossed as Dot's phone rang. She picked it up.

"Hello?"

"HELLO, DOT! THIS IS PAPYRUS!"

Dot's face lit up.

"Oh, hi Papyrus! Wait a minute, how did ya get my number?"

"HOW DID I GET THIS NUMBER...? IT WAS EASY! I JUST DIALED EVERY NUMBER SEQUENTIALLY UNTIL I GOT YOURS!"

"Aw, ya shouldn't have."

"NYEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus laughed into the phone. "SO...WHAT ARE YOU WEARING...?"

"Why do ya need to know?"

"I'M...ASKING FOR A FRIEND. SHE THOUGHT SHE SAW YOU WEARING JUST A PINK SKIRT. IS THAT TRUE? ARE YOU WEARING JUST A PINK SKIRT?"

"Yup! I took off the poncho after leaving Snowdin."

"SO YOU ARE WEARING JUST A PINK SKIRT... GOT IT! WINK WINK!"

Dot giggled.

"Anything else ya need?"

"NO. HAVE A NICE DAY!"

"You too, Papy. Buh-bye!"

They hung up.

"Well, time to change our outfits."

Dot put on the old tutu from earlier, then took her skirt off from underneath it. She tied the faded ribbon into a bow around her head as an extra touch to distract from her flower. Yakko tied the bandana around his head, then took out the stick and toy knife and put them in his belt. Wakko had nothing to wear, but he put on his tough gloves. Holding hands and entering the next room, they came across echo flowers and a sign.

" _ WISHING ROOM _ ," Dot read.

They stayed silent to listen to what the flowers had to say.

"A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling..."

"Thousands of people wishing together can't be wrong! The king will prove that."

Before they could reach the third flower, they were pulled towards Woshua. Seeing he was a neat freak, they had an idea.

"Can ya clean us?" said Wakko. "We're  _ really stinky." _

Woshua hopped around excitedly.

"Green means clean"

They had to avoid harmful drops of water to stay safe. Luckily, three green drops, one for each Warner, were thrown into the mix. They felt cleaner, making Woshua happy. They spared him, earning twenty-five pieces of gold.

"I gotta tell ya," said Yakko, "we're gettin' richer every minute!"

The next flower triggered more dialogue.

"C'mon, sis! Make a wish!"

"I wish my sister and I will see the real stars someday..."

"Ah...seems my horoscope is the same as last week's..."

A nearby telescope was on a tripod in between the last two flowers. Dot looked through it; the stones resembling stars weren't accurate up close. In a bright cluster of them, she saw the words "CHECK WALL" and an arrow. Following its advice, she used her mallet to hit the wall in the narrow hallway. It shattered, letting them pass through.

"Alright! Thanks for the tip, telescope."

They walked on a bridge and found some more signs. Ancient writing covered the walls, but the Warners could understand it fine. However, they wouldn't know the true power of the written monster language until they read all the signs.

" _ The War of Humans and Monsters _ ," Yakko read. "Well, sibs. Looks like we're in for a story! Though technically, we're  _ in  _ a story right now."

Yakko continued to read the story as they walked together.

" _ Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the soul of nearly every monster...just to equal the power of a single human soul. _ "

Suddenly, Yakko was teleported away from his siblings. He had entered a battlefield where monsters and humans attacked in every corner. Being classified as "humanfolk", he should be on the humans' side. But he knew that ever since he and his siblings were drawn, they wanted nothing to do with them, so why would he want to fight by their side? Yet technically they weren't monsters either. Yakko stood in the middle of the battlefield, wondering which side he was on. He looked for his siblings, who were nowhere to be found, as an unrecognizable voice continued to tell the story.

"But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their soul."

Yakko dodged fighting humans and monsters, wanting nothing to do with the war.

"Its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death. If a monster defeats a human, they can take its soul."

He looked to the side and saw a monster kill a human, absorbing their soul.

"A monster with a human soul...A horrible beast with unfathomable power."

There was something very unsettling about the fusion. It was strange-looking and it appeared to look like a demented version of a Warner. A few more popped up, but they didn't seem to notice Yakko. Suddenly, he was pushed to the ground by a human holding a spear. The human mistook him for a monster.

"Die, you heartless demon!"

Yakko screamed and took out his mallet to defend himself. Thinking fast and using it as a shield, he blocked the hit. As he protected himself, the scene dissolved. He panted, realizing he was back on the bridge.

"Sibs...did ya see that?"

Wakko and Dot nodded, just as spooked.

"That was awful!" said Wakko. "I don't wanna go back there!"

"We won't have to," said Yakko.

They stepped on a spare piece of wood on the edge of the bridge, taking them across the water.

"Yeesh," said Dot. "I knew they had it bad but I didn't know it was  _ that  _ bad!"

The fact that the humans attacked the monsters didn't surprise them, but the barbaric war that took place was what terrified them. After what they saw, they could tell it didn't end well for either side, even if the humans won the war. They got off the raft and continued onward.

"They're just like us," said Yakko. "Outcast and locked away from the world...but they have it worse. They can't even escape!"

"What are we gonna do?" said Wakko.

"There's only one thing to do, sibs: we gotta set them free. There's gotta be a way where we can break the barrier and stay alive, right?"

"Yeah!" said Dot. "And we're not leaving until we do."

"There goes the weird lighting again," said Yakko, seeing his shadow forming once more.

"Ya think we're puttin' ourselves in danger?" said Wakko, remembering when King Salazar tried to kill them.

Dot shrugged it off.

"I'm sure it's nothin' we ca- whoa!"

She jumped back as a stray spear almost stabbed her. Looking to the side, they saw Undyne standing not too far away.

"Run!" Yakko shouted.

Cannons were probably the only thing the Warners thought could almost kill them until now. Undyne threw clusters of three spears at them as they dashed for their lives. No one truly ambushed them until now, opening their eyes to the fact that they still underestimated their perilous journey. Now they believed that they were no longer invincible. Running through the turns of the twisty bridge, the Warners couldn't fight back since Undyne was too far away. However, they were able to use their mallets to shield incoming spears. Despite this, all shortcuts closed and their lives were at stake. If they managed to escape, they'd be as grateful as ever. Suddenly, one of Undyne's spears tripped Dot. She fell forward, then pulled herself to the side to avoid the larger cluster of Undyne's spears. It momentarily separated her from her brothers, but they passed once the larger cluster was no longer thrown.

"Quick!" Yakko shouted. "Hide in those huge piles of grass!"

They made a dive for it, managing to escape the final triple spear attack. The Warners tumbled on the ground and when they stopped, they held their breaths as Undyne walked through the grass searching for them. She raised her hand and brought it down...grabbing a smiling Monster Kid. Seeing that the Warners were nowhere in sight, she put him down and walked away. The Warners walked out of the grass.

"You guys ok?" said Yakko.

"Yup," said Wakko. "You?"

"Yeah."

"Good," said Dot. "For a moment, I actually thought I was gonna die!"

"Me too!" said Wakko.

"Let's agree we all thought the same thing and call it a day," said Yakko.

Monster Kid came out of the grass, bouncing excitedly.

"Yo...did you see that!? Undyne just...TOUCHED ME!"

Yakko blew a kiss to the readers, momentarily losing his sense of fear and dread.

"Goodnight everybody!"

"I'm never washing my face ever again...! Man, are you unlucky. If you were standing just a  _ little  _ bit to the left...!"

"Unlucky?" said Dot. "I'm just glad I'm still alive!"

"Yeah...but where are the bad guys?"

"Beats me," said Yakko, not having the heart to tell him they were the ones she was hunting down.

"Too bad they escaped," said Wakko, playing along.

"Yo, don't worry! I'm sure we'll see her again!"

"Well," said Yakko, "see ya around, Monster Kid."

He ran away and fell on his face again, but quickly picked himself up and kept going. Meanwhile, the Warners had to decide what to feel about their situation.

"We've got a lot at stake," said Dot.

"Yeah," said Yakko. "Can I be honest with ya?"

Wakko and Dot nodded.

"I'm scared. It's terrifying when I realize our toon powers can't protect us in serious situations! But we can't let it control how we are. If we keep our guard up, keep doin' what we're doin', and stay determined, it just might be enough to stay alive."

The Warners held each others' hands and continued onward. They found a mouse hole, an echo flower squeaking its greetings from the mouse to them, and a stool with a piece of cheese on it. The cheese had been there for so long that a magic crystal surrounded it. It was stuck to the table. Finally, the Warners came across a glowing star, giving them warmth. Knowing that the mouse might one day extract the cheese from the magical crystal filled them with determination.


	17. Calm Before the Storm

The Warners saw Sans standing next to a telescope.

"Hey, Sans!" said Yakko.

"Hiya, Sansy!" said Wakko.

"hey kids."

"Whatcha up to, Sans?" said Dot.

"i'm thinking about getting into the telescope business. it's normally 50000G to use this premium telescope...but...since i know you, you can use it for free. howzabout it?"

"Alright!" said Dot.

She looked into the telescope.

"so, how's my papyrus protection squad?"

"We saw him talkin' to Undyne," said Yakko. "Dot thinks she gave him death threats or somethin' to stay out of our business."

"She got really mad at her," said Wakko. "We almost got killed when she tried to defend him!"

Sans chuckled.

"yeah, undyne's pretty tough. it's gonna be a challenge befriending her."

"We couldn't hear what Undyne said," said Yakko, "but I'm sure she had a _bone_ to pick with Papyrus."

They laughed as Dot took her eye out of the telescope.

"I can't see anything in there! It's just a big red space."

A red target appeared around her eye, making Yakko, Wakko, and Sans snicker.

"What?"

Sans got a mirror for Dot. She took being pranked surprisingly well.

"Looks like I'm not _red_ -dy to see the stars yet."

Sans chuckled.

"good one, kiddo. well, if you aren't satisfied, don't worry. i'll give you a full refund."

He winked at Dot, making her roll her eyes despite smiling.

"Very funny."

She wiped the red ink off her eyes.

"See ya around!" said Yakko.

Sans waved goodbye. Meanwhile, an onion-like creature started asking questions as the Warners walked by.

"What's a star? Can you touch it? Can you eat it? Can you kill it? ...Are you a star?"

Yakko took care of the situation.

"A star's a big ball of light. Ya can't touch it and ya can't eat it unless you're Wakko. He's got a black hole of a stomach! Ya can't kill it and I'm not literally a star. How's that?"

"You answered my questions enough. Thanks."

"No problem!"

The Warners took a turn and walked forward.

"Hey," said Wakko, "it's the Nice Cream Man! How's it goin'?"

"I relocated my store, but there are still no customers..."

"Maybe it's because you're in the middle of nowhere," said Dot.

"Maybe...fortunately, I've thought of a solution!"

"And that'd be...?"

"Punch cards! Every time you buy a Nice Cream, you can take a punch card from the box. If you have three cards, you can trade them for a free Nice Cream!"

"Alright!" said the Warners.

"They're sure to get the customers to come back!"

The Warners looked further behind the Nice Cream Man and saw that the ancient glyph on the wall was painted over with a list of 21 different flavors.

"I'll have a strawberry one," said Dot.

"I'll take licorice!" said Wakko.

"I'll go for mint," said Yakko.

They paid for the Nice Cream bars.

"Super!" said the Nice Cream Man. "Here you go! Your Cards are in the box!"

He came to a realization.

"Hey! You each have 1 Punch Card! How about combining them and redeeming them for some Nice Cream!?"

"We'll see..." said Yakko.

They went over to the box, where two bugs were playing a 3-card game. They took their Punch Cards; after all, all games will end someday. Then they gave them to the Nice Cream Man.

"We'd like a jumbo-sized chocolate flavored Nice Cream, please!" said Dot.

"Here! Enjoy your free Nice Cream!"

He handed them the jumbo-sized chocolate Nice Cream.

"Thanks!" said Yakko.

Wakko put all the Nice Cream bars back in his Gag Bag. Then they walked away to the place they were before, finding a new path by the onion. Walking across the bridge, they found themselves on platforms located on top of a huge lake. A passing conversation was heard from some Echo Flowers.

"So? Don't you have any wishes to make?"

"...hmmm, just one, but...It's kind of stupid."

They were interrupted when Dot's phone rang.

"Hold on, I gotta take this. Hello?"

"HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS!"

"Hey again! Whaddya need, sweetie?"

"REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT CLOTHES?"

"Yeah."

"WELL, THE FRIEND WHO WANTED TO KNOW...HER OPINION OF YOU IS VERY...MURDERY."

Dot chuckled, slightly nervous.

"BUT I BET YOU KNEW THAT ALREADY! AND BECAUSE YOU KNEW THAT...I TOLD HER YOU WERE WEARING A PINK SKIRT! BECAUSE I KNEW, OF COURSE...AFTER SUCH A SUSPICIOUS QUESTION, YOU WOULD OBVIOUSLY CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES!"

"Again, ya know me too well."

"YOU'RE SUCH A SMART COOKIE! THIS WAY YOU'RE SAFE AND I DIDN'T LIE! NO BETRAYAL ANYWHERE!"

Dot loved how happy he sounded, as if he didn't have any doubts. But due to the dangerous situation she and her brothers were in, she wanted to be straightforward with Papyrus and be serious for a moment.

"Haha, yeah! Listen, I gotta tell ya something."

"WHAT IS IT?"

"We saw ya talkin' to Undyne."

There was a pause.

"...YOU DID?"

"Uh-huh. We also saw her makin' threats at ya."

"OH..."

"But why are still helping us if she did that to ya?"

Papyrus, realizing Dot heard what he said behind Undyne's back, was slightly relieved.

"PAPYRUS WOULD NEVER BETRAY YOU! I AM NOT A CRUEL PERSON. I STRIVE TO BE COMFORTING AND PLEASANT."

"A few of the many reasons why I love ya."

Dot smiled as she said that. Papyrus could sense it, feeling slightly uncomfortable but remembering their deal.

"YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR FRIENDSHIP MEANS TO ME. AND BECAUSE OF MY INHERENT GOODNESS...I WOULD NEVER LET HER HURT YOU!"

"That's actually one of the sweetest things you've said to me."

Dot found herself blushing.

"SO WORRY NOT, DEAR DOT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL DO MY BEST TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS. WOWIE, BEING FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE IS EASY!"

"Yup! Nobody'd say that unless they knew us. Anyway, thanks for defendin' us. It means a lot."

"ANYTIME, HUMANFOLK!"

"Bye!"

She hung up, reverting to her zany self. Meanwhile, they came across a pair of Moldsmal. Yakko, remembering what he did in the Ruins, wiggled his hips seductively.

"Wiggle on, girls!"

They wiggled back, allowing the Warners to spare them. Each one left a piece of gold, which Wakko put inside his Gag Bag. As they continued walking around, the passing conversation was heard once more.

"Don't say that! Come on, I promise I won't laugh."

After some time spent by wandering around with nothing in sight, Dot found some ballet slippers on the ground. She tried them on.

"They fit! Now I've got the complete outfit!"

She kept the shoes on her feet. Deciding there was nothing else to do, they decided to leave via another exit and found a sign on the wall.

" _The power to take their souls_ ," Yakko read. " _This is the power that the humans feared._ "

They walked away, trying not to remember the flashback that had felt so real. Suddenly, as they walked across a bridge, a tentacle popped out of the water. Another one popped out on the other side of the bridge. A huge onion-octopus hybrid with an anime face emerged. His voice was slightly squeaky and high-pitched.

"Hey...there...Noticed you were...Here...I'm Onionsan! Onionsan, y'hear!"

Yakko shook Onoinsan's tentacle.

"Nice to meet ya, Onionsan! I'm Yakko."

"I'm Wakko!"

"And I'm Dot, the impossibly cute one!"

They continued onward, Onionsan keeping up with them.

"You're visiting Waterfall, huh! It's great here, huh! You love it, huh!"

"Yep," said Yakko.

"Yeah! Me too. It's my Big Favorite."

He looked away from the Warners.

"Even though, the water's getting so shallow here...I, have to sit down all the time, but...He-hey! That's OK! It beats moving to the city!"

"What's wrong with the city?" said Dot.

"I'd end up in a crowded aquarium...like all my friends did!"

"Good point," said Dot.

"And the aquarium's full, a-anyway, so even if I wanted to, I...That's OK though, y'hear! Undyne's gonna fix everything, y'hear!"

 _Or make things worse,_ Yakko thought to himself.

"I'm gonna get out of here and live in the ocean! Y'hear!"

"We'll come visit ya when it happens!" said Wakko.

This made Onionsan happy. Soon, they reached the end of the room.

"Hey...there..."

He pointed with one of his tentacles.

"That's the end of this room. I'll see you around! Have a good time! In Waterfallllllllllllllllllllllllllllll"

He disappeared into the water before the Warners could say goodbye.

"Poor guy," said Yakko.

As they left, a new encounter was activated. Shyren bumped into them, despite the fact that she hid in the corner. Yakko self-consciously started humming. Shyren followed his melody.

"Si re," she hummed, "si re si mi si mi"

Her humming turned into music note attacks, which avoid Yakko for some reason. Wakko and Dot dodged the attacks as Yakko made small talk with Shyren.

"Hey, you're not too shabby."

She turned away.

"What's wrong?"

"... ...toot..."

"Oh, I get it. Ya think you're tone deaf. With a little help, you'll go a long way! Wanna sing with me?"

Shyren looked back at him and smiled. Aaron, watching from the distance, gave an approving nod. Yakko and Shyren, with backup from Wakko and Dot, hummed together. Soon, a crowd gathered around to hear the lovely melody and their humming provided an excellent concert.

"Si Fa Si Fa So Fa So Mi Re Re" Shyren sang, the Warners humming with her. "Mi So Mi So Mi Si Mi La Si So"

The Warners and Shyren hummed a four-part harmony, Yakko obviously becoming the melody. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sans selling tickets made of toilet paper. He nudged his siblings and they saw him as well. Meanwhile, the crowd threw clothing...it was a storm of socks, making Wakko chuckle. They hummed a few different songs together, deciding to give the monsters a "real" show.

The Warners loved the constant attention. It reminded them of the good old days, when their rise to fame had reached its peak. They had come so far, but alas. It had to end sooner or later. Shyren thought about her future as she aggressively tooted. It was time to part ways with the Warners. She had her own journey to embark on as well. After her final toot and the Warners' final note, she gave them 30 pieces of gold and headed off to greet fans. The Warners, on the other hand, merely passed by them.

"Thank ya!" said Yakko.

"Thank ya very much," said Dot.

"See ya guys next time!" said Wakko.

The fans immediately surrounded Shyren, but the Warners didn't mind. They had someone else to meet up with. Yakko spoke up first.

"I see ya liked our concert, Sans."

"yep, it was pretty good."

"Thanks!" said Wakko.

"no problem, kids. your vocals were pretty solid. especially yours, yakko."

"I get that a lot."

Yakko beamed with pride as Dot glared at him.

"It always has to be about you, huh?"

"I can't help it if I'm a natural!"

Sans chuckled.

"so, what's up?"

"We escaped death...again," said Dot. "You were right about Undyne; she really _is_ a tough one!"

"Yeah," said Yakko, shivering a little. "Haven't felt that scared since 1999!"

"can i give ya some advice?" said Sans.

The Warners nodded.

"catch her off-guard. sparin' her might be nearly impossible, but i know ya got a few tricks up your sleeves."

"We know," said Dot, smiling sweetly.

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"Thanks for the tip, Sans."

"you're welcome. welp, gotta go. see ya around."

He waved and walked away.

"Bye, Sans!" said Wakko.

"Bye!" Yakko and Dot shouted.

Turning around, they were alone once again. The sign in front of them said "The northern room hides a great treasure."

They were at crossroads. Either they walked forward or to the right. Choosing to go forward, they found a piano and a wall. The markings by the piano said "X - Quit" and had a circle next to four arrows pointing left, down, right, and up respectively, instructing them on how to use it. Wakko read the sign on the wall.

" _A haunting song echoes down the corridor...Won't you play along?_ I'm confused."

"We'll come back later," said Yakko.

Leaving and going right, there were more informational signs and they continued reading, Yakko going first.

" _This power has no counter. Indeed, a human cannot take a monster's soul. When a monster dies, its soul_ _disappears._ _And an incredible power would be needed to take the soul of a living monster._ "

"Isn't that what Goat Mom told us?" said Wakko.

Happy memories of Toriel filled his mind.

"Oh, yeah!" said Dot.

" _There is only one exception_ ," Wakko read. " _The soul of a special species of monster called a 'Boss Monster.' A Boss Monster's soul is strong enough to persist after death...If only for a few moments. A human could absorb this soul. But this has never happened. And now it never will._ "

They came across a sad-looking statue. It resembled a bull and water was dropping on its body.

"Huh," said Yakko, "the structures at his feet seem dry."

In the next room, they found a bucket of umbrellas with a sign saying "Please take one". Wakko took a red one.

"Why don't we give it to him?"

"Good idea," said Dot.

They walked back to the statue and gave him the umbrella. Placing the umbrella on the statue, a music box began to play from the inside. Dot looked at her brothers after the last few notes and they thought the same thing.

"Finding Nemo," said Dot, "eat your heart out."

Wakko stomped his foot on the ground in thought. Suddenly, he gasped and snapped his fingers.

"That's it!"

"What?" said Yakko.

"That's the song the sign was talkin' about! Come on!"

He ran back to the room with the piano, Yakko and Dot following closely behind him, and played the first eight notes of the song. When he finished, a hole in the wall appeared.

"Alright!" said Dot.

They entered the room and found a legendary artifact. They tried to take it, but were carrying too many dogs.

"Too many dogs?" said Yakko. "Whaddya mean 'Too many dogs'?!"

_I already gave you information on those monsters you've fought; this time, I think you should figure it out on your own._

"Fine," Yakko groaned.

Wakko looked inside his Gag Bag and found a little white dog fast asleep.

"Hey, isn't that Papyrus' dog?" said Dot.

"I think so," said Wakko.

"What's he doing here?" said Dot.

The dog woke up after being deployed by Wakko. He absorbed the artifact and ran away. Dot went after him, but tripped and fell just like she did in Papyrus' house. She got up by herself and brushed dust off her skirt. Yakko stood there, almost speechless.

"What just happened...?" he asked.

"I have no idea," said Wakko.

Dot clenched her fists and raised them in the air.

"Curse you, Annoying Dog!"


	18. The Second Wavev

They walked out of the room, Dot still being frustrated. Would she ever be able to catch Annoying Dog? Of course, that event came from out of nowhere, and even the Warners thought it didn't make any sense. But unlike their sister, Yakko and Wakko acted like it never happened. They passed by the statue again, where the music continued. It showed no sign of stopping. The can still had some umbrellas, so they each took one. Yakko's was green, Wakko's was orange, and Dot's was magenta. They felt pretty lucky they took the umbrellas when they had the chance because it was raining in the next room. Large puddles formed in the ground, Wakko stomping in them. Dot, on the other hand, admired her reflection.

"Still lookin' good!"

Yakko merely stepped in the puddles, the cold water drenching his aching feet.

"Ah, that feels better."

"Yo, you got an umbrella?"

They looked to the side to see Monster Kid standing in the hallway.

"Yeah," said Yakko.

"Awesome!"

"We were just headin' over there," said Wakko, pointing ahead of them. "Wanna come with us?"

"Sure!"

Yakko moved his umbrella, allowing enough room for Monster Kid to fit under it with him.

"Let's go!"

They kept walking, all four of them in sync. The Warners decided to call this moment a breather from all the hectic things that had happened. Undyne's ambush, the meet-up with Onionsan, Shyren's concert, and the encounter with Annoying Dog made them realize how much this adventure was starting to wear them out. But they didn't mind, as most of it was enjoyable. Everything was quiet for a while, adding a peaceful sense to the environment. Monster Kid broke the silence shortly after.

"Man, Undyne is sooooooo cool."

The Warners stiffened at the mention of her name.

"She beats up the bad guys and NEVER loses!"

"Riiiight..." said Yakko, slightly nervous.

"If I was a human, I would wet the bed every night...knowing she was gonna beat me up! Ha ha."

"Ya look up to her a lot, don'tcha?" said Dot.

Monster Kid nodded his head eagerly. Although the Warners weren't fond of Undyne, they could understand Monster Kid's thinking. After all, she _did_ have a thing for kicking butt.

"So, one time. We had a school project where we had to take care of a flower. The King - we had to call him 'Mr. Dreemur' - volunteered to donate his own flowers."

"That was nice of him," said Yakko.

"He ended up coming to the school and teaching the class about responsibility and stuff. That got me thinking...YO! How COOL would it be if _Undyne_ came to school!? She could beat up ALL the teachers!"

The Warners chuckled.

"Now _that_ I'd like to see," said Yakko.

"If it helps," said Dot, "Wakko once beat up our teacher for giving us F's."

"Cool!" said Monster Kid.

"It was the maddest we've ever seen him," said Yakko.

" _Nobody_ calls us failures..." Wakko growled.

"Calm down, bro."

Yakko patted Wakko on the head, making sure steam wouldn't start coming out of his ears.

"Ummm...maybe she wouldn't beat up the teachers...She's too cool to ever hurt an innocent person!"

"Ya really think so?" said Yakko.

"Yup!"

Yakko didn't believe Monster Kid. After all, he and his siblings were completely innocent and they were attacked anyway. But he didn't want to tell him that. Monster Kid needed to question his faith in Undyne on his own.

They passed by a mass of rocks and saw the castle in the distance.

"Is that Asgore's castle?" said Yakko.

"Looks like it came straight out of an anime," said Dot.

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

Monster Kid didn't say anything. After walking through a cave, the Warners put their umbrellas back.

"Yo," said Monster Kid, "this ledge is way too steep...Yo, you wanna see Undyne, right?"

"I'd like to give her a piece of my mind," said Dot, remembering how she made threats at poor Papyrus.

"Climb on my shoulders," said Monster Kid.

They climbed on his shoulders and got up.

"Thanks!" said Yakko. "Need a lift?"

He extended his arm out, but couldn't reach Monster Kid.

"Yo, you go on ahead. Don't worry about me. I always find a way to get through!"

"Ok," said Dot, "we'll meet ya on the other side!"

"Bye!" said Wakko.

Monster Kid tripped again, but picked himself back up and ran off.

"Onwards, sibs!" said Yakko.

They found more writing on the walls and they read what else was there.

" _The humans_ ," Yakko read, " _afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly, and without mercy._ "

The serene sound of a distant music box filled them with determination as another star warmed them up from the rain.

" _In the end_ ," Wakko read, " _it could hardly be called a war. United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak. Not a single soul was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust..._ "

This made the Warners even more determined to break the barrier. Despite what most people would think, there would be a way for them to break the barrier and keep their lives. After all, they were the Warners; there was _always_ a way when it came to them. They started walking across a bridge as shadows formed around them.

"More shadows?" said Dot.

"Uhhhhhh...I don't think this gonna be good," said Yakko.

Three light blue dots appeared in the ground. Eight more rapidly appeared, surrounding the Warners, and each one made a spear shoot out from the ground. The toons screamed and started running. Light blue circles appeared everywhere on the floor, shooting out spears.

"We gotta get outta here!" said Yakko.

They ran as fast as they could, quickly finding out that the bridge became a maze.

"Dead end!" Dot shouted, signaling to the right and in front of them.

They found an opening to the left, next to the dead end, and they dashed for it. More dead ends appeared all around them and the spears were popping out faster, making it harder for them to escape. Wakko saw Undyne out of the corner of his eye, following them from another bridge below him and his siblings.

"This way!" Wakko shouted, finding a huge space.

They spotted the way out, but the spears went so fast that they shot out the moment the dots appeared, increasing the risk of them getting stabbed. Yakko saw Wakko about to step on one of those dots when they were almost there.

"Watch out!" he yelled.

He pushed Wakko out of the way just in time as the spear came out, but the spear ended up stabbing Yakko's right arm. He screamed in pain and tumbled on floor. Wakko and Dot dragged him away, barely making it across the spears. Once they were in the safe zone, Wakko and Dot helped Yakko sit up straight. Dot looked at Yakko's arm and gasped.

"You're bleeding!"

"It's nothin'."

"Don't say that. Wakko, get the first aid kit!"

He was already on it and handed Dot some disinfectant wipes.

"Hold still."

She grabbed his arm and wiped the blood away, making sure the wound wouldn't get worse than it already was.

"Ow, ow, ow, stop it!"

He tried to pull his arm away, but Dot had a tighter grip.

"Almost done, just bear with me!"

Wakko handed Yakko the mint Nice Cream bar he bought.

"Bite down on this."

He did as he was told, eating half of the bar. The wrapper's message was "Is this as sweet as you?" The other half of the Nice Cream was applied to the wound, in hopes of healing it. Of course, a wound like that would take a little longer to heal, so Wakko wrapped a bandage around it.

"Thanks, sibs."

"No problem!" said Dot. "Good thing that spear got only your arm."

Wakko gasped and tugged at Dot's skirt.

"Dot, look!" he whispered.

She gasped as she saw Undyne walking towards them. They put their arms around Yakko to protect him, making him notice she was coming their way. The Warners couldn't hide the fear in their eyes as they locked them with Undyne's.

"Ya wouldn't hurt an injured kid, would ya?" said Dot.

Undyne already knew Yakko was injured, having seen her spear stab him, but she just noticed the bandage wrapped around his arm. There was a moment of awkward silence between the four of them. Undyne didn't say anything, which made the Warners think she was contemplating on what to do. Finally, Undyne raised her hand and brought it down. Three spears stabbed the bridge, making the ground beneath the Warners shake. However, it didn't affect the ground Undyne stood on, as it was stable compared to the Warners' side.

"Huh?" said Wakko.

After some unsteady shaking, the Warners' side of the bridge broke off, separating them from Undyne, and they screamed as they fell. Then everything turned black.


	19. He's Really, Really, Really Mad

_ It sounds like it came from over here... _

_ Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you... _

_ Are you okay? _

_ Here, get up... _

_... _

_ Chara, huh? _

_ That's a nice name. _

_ My name is _

* * *

Yakko woke up with a start. He looked at his arm and took off the bandage, revealing that his arm was fully healed and good as new. Next, he looked at his siblings, who woke up as well.

"I just had the weirdest dream," he told them.

"Me too," said Wakko.

"What was it about?" said Dot.

"Somethin' about a person named Chara..."

Wakko was taken by surprise.

"Hey, that was my dream too!"

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't mine," said Dot.

"So," said Yakko, "we all had the same dream? Interesting...well, enough about that. How long were we out?"

They looked at the clocks on the lock screens of their cell phones and realized that another day passed by after Undyne's second ambush. As they tried to move onward, the Warners found themselves in a different area of Waterfall. This time, bits and pieces of the bridge covered the water below them. All three of them were confused on why they were still dry. Yakko looked down and shuddered upon finding out that golden flowers had broken their fall once more.

"I can't help but get the feeling we're being watched."

Wakko and Dot shuddered as well, remembering they were being stalked by Flowey. But he hadn't made himself present since they left the Ruins, so hopefully it was nothing to worry about. They started to walk across the broken pieces of the bridge, but found out there was no way to get across without staying completely dry. Wakko ended up standing closest to the water, and Dot found herself unable to hold back an instinct. She pushed Wakko, making him yelp, and he fell into the water as she laughed. Yakko pushed her right afterward, but she grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the water with her. They laughed, splashing the cold water at each other and engaging into a water fight.

"Hey sibs, watch this!"

Yakko sent a large wave their way. They ducked underwater, dodging the wave, and Wakko spit some of the water into Yakko's face.

"Take that!" he shouted.

The trio playfully wrestled with each other for a little longer, then ran out of breath.

"That was fun," said Dot.

"Well," said Yakko, "we better get a move on."

They came across piles of garbage with quite a few brands they recognized. They also found some more bridge pieces, which surprisingly were stuck together. There, they took off their armor, Dot changing into her pink skirt. Yakko made sure that the stick and the toy knife were in his belt. Again, for decorative purposes. Wakko checked his Gag Bag, realizing that dog residue was leftover from the encounter with Annoying Dog. He threw the dog residue away, which started to sink. A star was on the bridge piece as well, using its warmth to make them dry. The Warners looked up, noticing that the waterfall seemed to flow from the ceiling of the cavern. Occasionally, a piece of trash would have to flow through and fall into the bottomless abyss below. Viewing the endless cycle of worthless garbage somehow managed to fill them with determination.

"I'm not gettin' wet again," said Dot, using her zaniness to walk on the water. Her brothers followed her example and did the same.

Up ahead, there were more piles of garbage. Yakko rested his hand on a rusted bike, whose horn let out a wheeze of despair. Dot, on the other hand, had her mind set on a beat-up desktop computer. The inside was empty, much to her dismay. Wakko found a cooler with no brand and no signs of wear. Inside were a couple of freeze-dried space food bars. He stuffed them in his mouth, hungry as usual.

"Hey, what's this?" said Dot, lifting up an empty box.

"A DVD case for an anime?" said Yakko. "Which one?"

"I dunno; these desperate claw marks are covering up the title!"

"And the edges," said Wakko.

She put the DVD case back down.

"There's something weird about this training dummy..." Yakko said to himself.

"Looks normal to me," said Dot.

Yakko and the dummy stared into each other's eyes for a moment. He shrugged shortly afterwards and continued onward with his siblings. Before they made it to the next room, however, they heard something stir behind them. The dummy came to life and turned red with anger as he flew in front of them, blocking the way out.

"Hahaha..." he spoke. "Too intimidated to fight me, huh!?"

The Warners did not look scared, but rather confused.

"I am a ghost that lives inside a dummy," he explained. "My cousin used to live inside a dummy, too. Until...YOU CAME ALONG!"

He stared directly at Yakko, ignoring Wakko and Dot.

"When you talked to them, they thought they were in for a nice chat...But the things you SAID...! Horrible. Shocking! UNBELIEVABLE! It spooked them right out of their dummy!"

"I knew I shouldn't have asked so many questions," said Yakko.

"You went pretty fast too, so..." said Dot.

"HUMANFOLK! I'll scare your souls out of your bodies!”

The encounter began. The way the ripped seams formed a mouth in Mad Dummy's body was terrifying. He didn't seem much for conversation, and no one was happy with that.

"Futile. Futile! FUTILE!"

Mini-dummies came out from the edges of the boundary box, shooting small cotton balls at the Warners. They missed, hitting Mad Dummy instead. He twitched in pain.

"OWWW, you DUMMIES! Watch where you're aiming your magic attacks!"

He stopped, realizing he made a mistake.

"Hey! You three! Forget I said anything about magic!"

Mad Dummy was looking nervous.

"We didn't hear anything," said Wakko.

The Warners looked at each other with devious faces. Since physical attacks wouldn't work on ghosts, they came up with a plan to trick Mad Dummy into attacking himself.

"I'll defeat you and take one of your souls! I'll use it to cross the barrier!"

Mad Dummy bossed his bullets around and moved his body to make hitting him harder.

"I'll stand in the window of a fancy store!"

"But if we die, which one of us will break the barrier?" said Wakko.

"I don't wanna think about it," said Yakko, ducking to avoid a cotton ball bullet.

Meanwhile, Mad Dummy was moving so much that he was getting cotton all over the dialogue box...which was invisible to everyone. This was odd, since the Warners were in a video game. But yet again, not everything could be on point, especially with the Warners breaking some rules. After all, this is fanfiction.

“Narrator,” said Dot, “we’re in the middle of a battle. Stop makin’ our brains hurt!”

"THEN EVERYTHING I WANT WILL BE MINE!"

Suddenly, the mini-dummies changed their attacks. They flashed red and charged in place.

"Whoa!" the Warners shouted, barely squeezing through the gap while dodging another row of cotton ball bullets.

"Are ya sure this is gonna avenge your cousin?" said Yakko.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess. What was their name again...? Whatever. Whatever! WHATEVER! Pitiful. Pitiful! PITIFUL! Foolish. Foolish! FOOLISH!"

After getting tired of taking so many hits, Mad Dummy summoned his army of mini-dummies.

"Dummies. Dummies! DUMMIES! Remember how I said  _ NOT  _ to shoot at me? Well...FAILURES!"

The Warners stifled laughter at Mad Dummy's outburst.

"YOU'RE FIRED! YOU'RE ALL BEING REPLACED!"

The mini-dummies backed away.

"Hahaha," Mad Dummy laughed. "Hahaha! HAHAHA! Now you'll see my  _ true  _ power: Relying on people that aren't garbage!"

"Bring it on!" said Yakko as mechanical whirrs filled the room.

"DUMMY BOTS! MAGIC MISSILE!"

New and not-improved robotic mini-dummies shot rockets at the Warners, which followed them as they ran. They jumped into a corner, Wakko getting hit on the shoulder, to drive the rockets off course. Mad Dummy did an armless ska dance.

"DUMMY BOTS! TRY AGAIN!"

They failed.

"DUMMY BOTS! YOU'RE AWFUL?"

"Suck it, Mad Dummy!" said Dot.

"DUMMY BOTS! FINAL ATTACK!"

This one was much harder than the others. Yakko got hit by a rocket while dodging the charging mini-dummies and Dot got pelted by ten more at once, losing half of her health.

"(N...no way! These guys are even  _ WORSE  _ than the other guys!) Who cares. Who cares! WHO CARES! I DON'T NEED FRIENDS! I'VE GOT KNIVES!"

He chucked one at Wakko, who easily dodged.

"I'm...Out of knives. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER! YOU CAN'T HURT ME AND I CAN'T HURT YOU! YOU'LL BE STUCK FIGHTING ME...Forever."

At this point, the Warners were tired of fighting, so it was bad news. They held back groans.

"Forever! FOREVER!"

He laughed maniacally until teardrops fell onto his body, making him twitch.

"Is that who I think it is?" said Dot.

"Wh...What the heck is this!? Ergh! Acid rain!? Oh, FORGET IT! I'm outta here!"

He left as a familiar ghost appeared.

"Napstablook!" said Wakko.

"I knew it!" said Dot.

"...sorry, i interrupted you, didn't i?"

"What makes ya say  _ that _ ?" said Yakko, relieved that Napstablook ended the fight.

"as soon as i came over, your friend immediately left..."

"Oh, please!" said Yakko. "He's a  _ special  _ friend."

Napstablook didn't get it and only felt worse.

"oh no..."

"Wait, I didn't me-"

"you guys looked like you were having fun..."

"Actually," said Dot, "we're exhausted. Thanks for letting us take a break."

"oh..."

"So, what brings ya here?" said Wakko.

"i just wanted to say hi..."

"That's nice of ya," said Dot.

"well...i'm going to head home now...oh...um...feel free to "come with" if you want...but no pressure...i understand if you're busy...it's fine...no worries...just thought i'd offer..."

He floated away, the Warners feeling sorry for the lonesome ghost. Dot ate the strawberry Nice Cream she bought to heal herself from the battle with Mad Dummy. The wrapper said "You're super spiffy!"

_ No one says that anymore! _

Nonetheless, her health was fully restored. They continued onward, bumping into Napstablook again.

"hey...my house is up here...in case you want to see...or in case...you don't..."

Yakko, in an attempt to comfort Napstablook, put his hand on Napstablook's shoulder(?). Well, at least he tried to.

"Napstablook, it's fine. Don't worry! Ya really need to relax, chill out, and forget about your cares every once in a while!"

"oh...ok..."

"Listen, we've got a tight schedule goin' on right now, so we'll come back later. Got it?"

Napstablook nodded.

"Good. See ya later!"

"bye..."

Napstablook floated away. The path in front of the Warners divided into three, but there was another passageway to the right. On their left, a duck was standing on a broken platform by a lake. The sign by the rightmost front path said "North: Blook Acres, East: Hotland, ?: Temmie Village". They contemplated which way to go as yet another twinkling star appeared and managed to heal Yakko and Wakko. The Warners felt a calming tranquility, filling them with determination.

  
  



	20. Another Day, Another BrAIN-kILLn tEMMIE

Deciding to go straight, the Warners found two houses: one was blue, the other was pink, and both leaned in opposite directions. They could tell the blue house was Napstablook's, but decided not to visit him yet. They continued to the right, finding a snail farm with four snails in a large pen. The first snail made Wakko wonder what snails taste like. Yakko found a blue one with a mustache and a rather large nose.

"A long journey extends in front of you..."

"Yeah, but I'll bet we're at the halfway point. Any tips?"

"Reach far and stretch beyond the horizons. So snaileth Sam Byool."

Yakko stretched his body in many different directions.

"How's this?"

The snail laughed; Yakko saw it as an absolute win. Meanwhile, Dot was talking to a green, classy snail wearing a tuxedo.

"So, how's life?"

"I've been long overdue for a second house..."

"That's nice. At least you're not like that snail over there; he's countin' his money like a worrywart!"

They exited the pen. Lo and behold, Napstablook appeared once again, this time wearing headphones.

"awkward...i'm working right now..."

"I didn't know ya had a job!" said Wakko.

"i mean...welcome to blook family snail farm..."

Dot looked around.

"I don't see anybody else around here."

"...yeah. i'm the only employee. this place used to get a lot of business..."

"What happened?" said Yakko.

"our main customer disappeared one day...now it's just some hairy guy that shows up once a month..."

"At least he's what still keeps ya in business, right?" Wakko asked.

"yeah..."

"Hey, what's that?" said Dot.

The Warners went over to a race track with three snails.

"do you want to play a game?" Napstablook asked. "it's called thundersnail. the snails will race, and if the yellow snail wins, you win. it's 10G to play."

Wakko took out the money.

"Put 'em here!"

"okay...press [Z] repeatedly to encourage your snail."

"Got it," said Dot.

"ready?"

3...2...1...GO!

The Warners cheered on their snail, rapidly and loudly. However, the snail couldn't move. Soon, she tipped over, eventually retreating to her shell. The Warners started to worry once her shell caught on fire.

"What's goin' on?" said Dot.

"Why isn't she movin'?" said Wakko.

RACE END!

"oh...looks like you encouraged your snail too much..." said Napstablook. "all that pressure to succeed...really got to her...oh..."

He sounded like he was reminiscing a bad memory. To get him out of his momentary funk, the Warners wanted to try again.

"Let's do it again!" said Yakko, handing the ghost more gold.

He got the snails ready. This time, the Warners cheered slightly less than before. As a result, their snail won, much to their joy.

"you won...congratulations."

"Thanks!" said all three siblings.

"as a prize, you get 9G."

"What happened to the other one?" said Wakko.

"sorry...we have to make a profit somehow..."

"Businesses," said Dot, "go fig."

* * *

Deciding to move on, the Warners found a passageway leading to a shop and a box. Entering the shop, they ran into an elderly turtle named Gerson.

"Woah there!" said Gerson. "I've got some junk for sale."

"Whatcha got in stock?" said Yakko.

"I've got Crab Apples, Sea Tea, a pair of Cloudy Glasses, and a Torn Notebook. What are you lookin’ for?"

"We'll take all of 'em," said Dot, handing the turtle the money.

"Thanks!" said Gerson. "Wa ha ha."

"No problem!" said Yakko. "Hey, ya seem like you've been here for a while. Anything you should tell us?"

"Anything you wanna know?"

"Touche. Tell us about yourself."

"I've been around a long time. Maybe too long. Studying history sure is easy when you've lived through so much of it yourself! Wa ha ha!"

"Whaddya know about King Asgore?" said Dot.

"King Fluffybuns?"

The Warners snickered at Gerson's nickname for Asgore.

"He's a friendly, happy-go-lucky kind of guy...If you keep walking around long enough, you'll probably meet him. He loves to walk around and talk to people."

"What's with the nickname?" said Dot.

"Eh? Why do I call Dreemur 'Fluffybuns'? Oh, that's a great story! ...I don't remember it.

"Aw, poo!" said Wakko.

"But if you come back much later, I'm sure I'll have remembered it by then."

"I heard Undyne's the local hero around here," said Yakko.

"Yeah," said Gerson, "she sure is. Through grit and determination alone, she fought her way to the top of the Royal Guard. Actually, she just came through here asking about someone who looked just like you..."

The Warners got nervous; they still remembered that Undyne was still out there and continued to be a real threat.

"I'd watch your backs, kids. And buy some items...It just might save your hide! Wa ha ha!"

"What's that sign behind ya?" said Wakko, trying to take Undyne off their minds.

"Eh? You don't know what that is? What are they teaching you in school nowadays..."

"Stuff we don't care about, hon," Dot responded.

"Wa ha ha!" he laughed. "That's the Delta Rune, the emblem of our kingdom. The kingdom...of Monsters. Wahaha! Great name, huh?"

"Tell us more!" said Yakko, sitting down with his siblings.

"Great name, huh? It's as I always say...Ol' King Fluffybuns can't name for beans! That emblem actually predates written history. The original meaning has been lost to time...All we know is that the triangles symbolize us monsters below, and the winged circle above symbolizes...Somethin' else. Most people say it's the 'angel' from the prophecy..."

The Warners exchanged glances, showing interest in what the turtle had to say.

"Legend has it, an 'angel' who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom. Lately, the people have been taking a bleaker outlook...Callin' that winged circle the 'Angel of Death'. A harbinger of destruction, waitin' to 'free' us from this mortal realm...In my opinion, when I see that little circle...I just think it looks neat! Wahaha!"

And with that, they left the store. Wakko put the cloudy glasses in his Gag Bag and the torn notebook in his hat, wanting to write a story about their travels in the Underground. In front of them was a passageway that led to a river. But to their side, there was more writing on the wall. Yakko started to read.

" _ Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful soul can leave. _ "

The text brought them to the tragic backstory once more, with a narrator who still refused to show their face. They found themselves experiencing whatever they read.

" _ There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to seven human souls, attacks the barrier...It will be destroyed. But this cursed place has no entrances or exits. There is no way a human could come here. We will remain trapped down here forever. _ "

The Warners escaped the nightmarish flashback to memories they never had. On the bright side, it wasn't as terrifying as the first time.

"Not on our watch," said Yakko, "right sibs?"

"Right!" said Wakko and Dot in unison.

The path seemed to stop at three mushrooms planted on the ground. Dot tapped the mushroom, making it light up and reveal the passageway to be longer. They continued until an encounter started. Special Enemy Temmie appeared to defeat them! Temmie trembled viciously.

"Uhhhhh...hi?" said Yakko.

"hOI! im temmie!"

Temmie extended her legs, causing the Warners to slide under. Wakko found some Temmie Flakes in his Gag Bag, not questioning why they were there, and gave them to her.

"NO! so hungr...(dies)"

She pretended to play dead for a while, then ran off. The Warners, despite thinking Temmie was quite an oddball, decided to follow her and off the path. There, they came across an extremely small town filled with Temmies. The sign said "hOI! welcom to...TEM VILLAGE!"

"Give us a moment," said Yakko to the readers, "we've gotta forget how to talk like normal people."

The Warners huddled up, then disbanded after a few seconds to talk to the four Temmies and get it over with.

"goTS T!" said Wakko, ready to go.

"hOI! im temmie!"

"hOI temmie!" said the Warners.

"and dis is my friend...temmie!"

"hOI! im temmie!"

"hOI temmie!" said the Warners.

"and dis is my friend...temmie!"

"hOI! im temmie!"

"hOI temmie!" said the Warners.

"don forget my friend!"

"Hi. I'm Bob."

The Warners laughed at this unexpected twist, then sounded just as disinterested as Bob was.

"Hi Bob."

They reverted to their chipper selves and saw a picture of a Temmie standing on a dragon. It was the rich history of Tem. They chuckled at the sight, then approached another Temmie.

"awawawawah!" she greeted. "humanfolk...such a...CUTE!"

"Thanks," said Dot, letting out a giggle.

Another Temmie was watching over an egg.

"Whatcha doin'?" said Wakko.

"tem...WATCH EGG! eg...wil HATCH! tem...PROUD PARENT!"

The sight of a dog-cat hybrid watching over an egg, which probably wouldn't hatch due to being hard-boiled, was actually kinda funny. Well, at least it was funnier than the rich history of Tem, but not as much as Bob. They also got the feeling that they were being watched by a Temmie hiding behind a crack in the wall. But nothing was more intriguing than the dancing blue mushroom in front of them. However, the place truly got on their nerves when another Temmie's face broke out and was covered in hives due to being allergic to the Warners.

"Yeesh," said Yakko, " _ now _ I'm starting to feel my brain cells dying one by one!"

Before they could leave, they found two signs that said "hOI! u shud check out...TEM SHOP!" and "yaYA! i AGREES! shud check...TEM SHOP!"

They entered the shop, knowing that they didn't really have a choice. After all, it would probably make the fans angry if they didn’t.

"hOI! welcome to...TEM SHOP!"

The only thing the Temmie Shopkeeper sold beside Temmie Flakes at three different prices were "tem pay 4 colleg". By giving Temmie 1000G, "tem pursu higher education".

"Here," said Yakko, "just take this."

He handed Temmie the 1000G, making her eyes widen.

"WOA! thas ALOT o muns...can tem realy acepts..."

She started sweating.

"I never thought I'd say this," said Dot, "but it's for a good cause."

"OKs! tem go to college and make u prouds!"

Temmie left with her little booth, but left behind her face, making the Warners extremely uncomfortable.

"Hey!" Wakko shouted. "You forgot your face!"

Ten seconds later, Temmie returned with a graduation hat and her face was no longer floating in space.

"tem bak from cool leg, tem learn MANY THINs, learn to sell new ITEM! yayA!"

At this point, the Warners found the broken English annoying. They noticed a change in the inventory; the option to pay for college changed to "temy ARMOR!", which looked like a knight's armor with strange scribbles and drawings all over it. The stats read "ARMOR 20DF makes battles to easy". Oh, the things someone can do with a college education. Yakko spoke up.

"Well, Wakko. It's time we buy ya some  _ real  _ armor."

"I'm not wearin'  _ that _ !" said Wakko.

"I dare ya."

Wakko knew he couldn't back out of a dare, so he let Yakko buy the Temmie Armor.

"thanks PURCHASE!"

"You're welcome," said Dot, turning to her brothers. "Now let's get outta here!"

They ran out of Temmie Village as fast as they could. Once they were finally out, they caught their breath.

"We survived!" said Yakko.

The Warners put on their armor. Yakko wore the manly bandana to match his stick and toy knife, Wakko put on his boxing gloves, the cloudy glasses, and the Temmie Armor, which made Yakko and Dot laugh, and Dot put on her faded ribbon, old tutu, and ballet slippers.

"I'm just gonna forget we even went there," said Yakko.

The Warners felt...something. They were filled with detemmienation.

"Oh, come on!"


	21. A Fishy Fight

After the experience of running into Temmie Village, the Warners found another room similar to the one with the light-up mushrooms, but with glowing pink crystals instead. The sign said "Without candles or magic to guide them Home, the monsters used crystals to navigate."

"Oh," said Wakko, "so we gotta follow the crystals."

"Sounds about right," said Dot.

As they walked through the maze, lanterns were everywhere, but spread apart from each other to make it harder to find them. To make things worse, the lighting went dark easily. If there was a blackout before they found a lantern, chances were they'd be stuck there forever. Well, maybe not forever, but it would certainly feel like it. After the first two lanterns, which were relatively easy to find, a pair of Moldsmal bumped into the Warners. Yakko wiggled his hips, letting Moldsmal A spare him, but Moldsmal B turned into Moldbygg. Moldbygg's attacks were different, consisting of bullets that closed in on them.

"Whoa!" said Yakko, rolling out of the way. "Look, I get it. I'm not even gonna get near ya."

Admiring his respect for boundaries, even though it was arguable that he didn't have any, Moldbygg spared him and left behind some gold. As they continued on their way to find the third lantern, it was quickly getting dark again.

"There!" Wakko pointed.

They ran left, forward, right, forward, left, and right again, then found the next lantern. But before they could activate it, Woshua and Aaron ran into them. Doing what they normally did, they spared the duo and continued. Going right and taking another right right afterward, they made it to the next area of Waterfall. Walking across the river, it got dark in a flash.

"Hey," said Wakko, "who turned out the lights?"

"I can't see anything two feet in front of me!" said Dot.

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." said Yakko.

They stepped onto stable and dry ground.

"We need somethin' to  _ lighten _ the mood," said Yakko, whose pun was accompanied by Wakko playing the drums.

"What's that echo flower doin' here?" said Dot.

A feminine voice, reminiscent of Jane Lynch, spoke from the flower, slow enough to sound intimidating.

"Behind you."

They turned around; the lights turned back on and they saw Undyne standing there. The Warners groaned. Undyne had attacked long enough for them to no longer be afraid of her. Now, they pretty much knew what to expect.

"Not again!" Dot complained.

"She never gives up, does she?" Yakko said to himself before facing Undyne. "Fine, let's get this over with. Whaddya want?"

"...Seven."

"Huh?" said Wakko.

"Seven human souls. With the power of seven human souls, our king...King Asgore Dreemur...will become a god. With that power, Asgore can finally shatter the barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity...and give them back the pain and suffering that we have endured."

"But what does that have to do with us?" said Yakko.

"I always thought that the seven human souls were what we needed. But you three...something's different about your souls. They're  _ way  _ more powerful than the souls we already have combined. One of your souls is strong enough to shatter the barrier on its own. Understand, humanfolk?"

The Warners nodded, knowing that toons held a deal of great power. From what they got out of Undyne's explanation, Undyne had to kill only one of them to break the barrier. Hopefully she would be merciful to leave the other two alone.

"This is your only chance at redemption."

" _ Our  _ redemption?" said Dot, finally getting the opportunity to lash out at the knight. "What about  _ you _ ?! I saw what ya did back there the other day to that poor, sweet skeleton! If anything,  _ you're  _ the one who needs a redemption! No one, and I mean  _ no one _ , hurts  _ my  _ Papyrus!"

She took out her mallet and smashed it on top of Undyne's head. However, Undyne acted like a sturdy boulder and was unfazed. Dot, on the other hand, started shaking due to the harsh impact, then fell to the floor as Yakko and Wakko dragged her away.

"Pathetic," said Undyne, starting to lose her temper and making eye contact at Dot. "You know what? Maybe I should kill  _ you _ first."

"Fight me!" she growled. “I dare ya!”

"Unless one of your brothers wants to give up their soul instead."

"No way!" said Yakko. "You're not gonna kill us and get away with it!"

Undyne paused to stop herself from yelling at the toons and calmed down.

"I'm gonna say it one last time. Give up your souls...or I'll tear them from your bodies."

She took out her spear and charged. Yakko and Wakko took out their mallets as well, hoping they would be enough to defend them from Undyne. But they didn't forget Sans' advice to catch her off-guard, which meant that it probably wouldn't be very useful if they wanted to live. The trio braced themselves for the battle to begin. However, Monster Kid jumped in between the knight and the kids.

"Undyne!" he shouted. "I'll help you fight!"

Yakko chuckled. He was right; pretty much every event that happened in the Underground seemed to be conveniently-timed  _ and  _ in their favor. It made sense; they were the players after all. Meanwhile, Monster Kid looked from side to side, constantly switching his attention between Undyne and the Warners. Finally, he stopped and stared at Yakko, Wakko, and Dot.

"YO! You did it! Undyne is right in front of you!"

" _ And  _ holdin' a spear," said Wakko, hoping it would make him realize the situation.

"Yeah, you've got front row seats to her fight!"

But as he looked around, he saw that no one was there. He looked at the readers, as if acknowledging their presence.

"...wait. Who's she fighting?"

If only he could hear their responses. Yakko opened his mouth to speak for them, but was cut off when Undyne put her spear away, grabbed Monster Kid by the face, and dragged him away, abandoning the Warners.

"H-hey!" he shouted. "You aren't gonna tell my parents about this, are you?"

The echo flower repeated this single line of dialogue, much to the Warners' amusement.

"Well," said Yakko, "we've got a slight chance we'll never be seeing  _ her  _ again."

Sure, it was unlikely, but it was also wishful thinking. Nothing wrong with that, right? As they walked back on the river, they found another passageway. It led to a hallway filled with echo flowers. The passing conversation from the previous day seemed to continue.

"...hmmm...if I say my wish...You promise you won't laugh at me?"

"Of course I won't laugh!"

"Someday, I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under. Standing under the sky, looking at the world all around...That's my wish."

They heard laughter.

"...hey, you said you wouldn't laugh at it!"

"Sorry, it's just funny...That's my wish too."

The Warners smiled. Assuming this was a sibling moment, it was really sweet. A sign on the wall revealed the last part of the alluring lore that they needed to know.

" _ However... _ " Yakko read, " _ There is a prophecy. The Angel...The One Who Has Seen The Surface...They will return. And the underground will go empty. _ "

But the question still remained: which one of them was the angel? They didn't have enough time to think about it as they crossed a slightly unstable bridge.

"Yo!" a voice shouted, stopping them from crossing the bridge.

"Monster Kid?" said Dot as she turned around. "What are ya doin' here?"

"I know I'm not supposed to be here, but...I wanna ask you something."

"Shoot," said Yakko.

There was a brief pause.

"Man, I've never had to ask anyone this before...Umm...Yo...You're humanfolk, right?"

"Yeah!" said Yakko. "We're cartoons, straight from the surface!"

"Cool! Haha. Man! I knew it! ...well, I know it now, I mean...Undyne told me, um, 'stay away from those humanfolk.' So, like, um...I guess we're gonna be enemies or something."

Dot responded first.

"We don't  _ have _ to, ya know."

"But we're supposed to! Um, at least that's what I've been told. But I kinda stink at that, haha. Yo, say something mean so I can hate you? Please?"

The Warners exchanged glances.

"Nah," said Yakko, "you're too nice."

"Yo, what? So  _ I  _ have to do it?"

"Show us whatcha got," said Dot.

"Here goes nothing..."

He took a deep breath.

"Yo, I...I hate your guts."

The Warners tried not to snicker; it was the lamest phoned-in insult they ever heard.

"...Man, I...I'm such a turd."

This made it even harder for them to not laugh.

"I'm...I'm gonna go home now."

"Bye," said Wakko, waving as he left.

Monster Kid walked away, but tripped and hung from the edge of the bridge by his head. The Warners gasped as they saw him almost fall.

"Yo, w-w-wait! Help! I tripped!"

Yakko immediately flashed back to when the bridge gave away beneath Wakko's feet and he almost fell to his death in 1999. Lucky enough that he survived, Yakko was gonna make sure the same thing happened with Monster Kid as his big brother instincts kicked in.

"Hang on, I'm comin'!"

He ran and slid to a halt, not taking his eyes off Monster Kid. However, it meant that he was too busy to notice Undyne approaching. She reached for her spear, finding this as the perfect opportunity to kill Yakko and take his soul, but Wakko and Dot stopped her. They protected him by giving her the death glare, also known as the "You lay a finger on our brother and you're dead" look. It wasn't intimidating, but Undyne took a few steps back, admiring the way they looked out for their older brother.

Yakko grabbed Monster Kid's cheeks, not able to find his arms (if he even had any), and lifted him up.

"Gotcha!"

He placed him back on the bridge, both finally noticing Undyne's presence. Monster Kid felt an exclamation mark appear above his head as he realized Undyne attempted to murder the toon that saved his life. He stood in front of Yakko, defending him from Undyne.

"Y...y...yo...dude...If...If y-you wanna hurt my friend...You're gonna have to get through me, first."

Undyne hesitated. She was against hurting her own kind, so she took a few more steps back, then started walking away.

"She's gone..."

"Not bad, Monster Kid!" said Yakko, rubbing Monster Kid's head. "Not bad."

"Yo, you really saved my skin. Guess being enemies was just a nice thought, haha. We'll just have to be friends instead."

"Sounds good to us!" said Wakko.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Well," said Yakko, "ya better get goin'. Your parents are gonna be worried sick!"

"Yeah, I should  _ really  _ go home."

"If there's anything else ya need, come to us."

"Thanks, Yakko. See you guys later!"

He scurried away.

"Bye, Monster Kid!" said Dot.

"And try not to fall off any more bridges!" said Yakko in a playful tone.

Monster Kid laughed, then disappeared.

"Nice kid," said Wakko.

The Warners passed through another bridge and stopped in front of a mountain with a cave entrance. Standing on the very top of the mountain was Undyne, looking away.

"Seven. Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god."

"Ya already said that!" said Yakko. "Just get to the point!"

Undyne clenched her fists.

"Quiet, I'm getting there!"

She cleared her throat and continued, looking to the side.

"Six. That's how many we've collected thus far. Understand? One of you will be the seventh and final soul, and not only will the world be transformed, but you will give us the power to do even more. First, however, as is customary for those who make it this far..."

She faced them.

"I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people. It all started, long ago..."

"Don't we already know this?" Wakko whispered.

"Yeah," Dot whispered back.

"No, you know what? I've had it with all your crazy antics! SO SCREW IT! WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU THAT STORY WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE!?"

The Warners jumped back at this. Seeing the knight get so angry made her even scarier than the times she ambushed them.

"NGAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She took off her helmet to reveal blue scales with an eyepatch and a red ponytail.

"Whaaaaaa?!" Wakko exclaimed.

"We're up against a scary fish lady, guys!" said Yakko. "This is gonna be good..."

"YOU! You're standing in the way of everybody's hopes and dreams!"

"Actually," said Dot, "we're gonna ma-"

"SHUT UP! Alphys's history books made me think the surface was cool...with giant robots and flowery swordsmen."

"Wonder where she got  _ that _ from..." said Yakko.

"BUT YOU THREE? You're nothing but cowards!"

"Exsqueeze me?" said Yakko, speaking up. "Didn't ya see what I just did back there?!"

"Yeah, you were hiding behind that kid just so you could run away from me again!"

Yakko gave up. What was the point if she wouldn't listen to common sense that even toons as illogical as the Warners have?

"And let's not forget your 'great people skills' schtick! Oooh! We're making such a difference by telling every what they want to hear and making them fall in love with how  _ perfect _ we are! You know what would be more valuable to everyone? IF YOU WERE DEAD!"

"That's harsh," said Wakko.

"That's right, humanfolk! Your continued existence is a crime! Your lives are all that stands between us and our freedom!"

"Uhhhh...she actually has a point there," said Yakko.

"Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts pounding together! Everyone's been waiting their whole lives for this moment!"

"Yeah," said Yakko, "they're gonna finally see the day when you lose!"

"Oh, please. I'll show you how determined monsters can be! Because when everyone puts their hearts together, they can't lose! It's time to end this right there, right now! And maybe I can shut that mouth of yours! Step forward when you're ready! Fuhuhuhu!"

The Warners put on fierce faces and didn't move. A twinkling star, which wasn't there before, gave them a boost of energy. The wind was howling as they were filled with determination.

"That's it, then...! No more running away!"

Undyne took out her spear.

"HERE I COME!"

She charged as the Warners' souls activated and they found themselves being pulled closer to her. But instead of stabbing them right away, her spear passed over their heads. Their souls, along with their bodies, turned green. The boundary boxes also seemed to surround each Warner individually.

"En garde!"

The Warners found out that they couldn't move their feet in a walking pattern, but they could pivot to all directions. A blue shield also appeared, seemingly glued to one of their hands.

"Uh, guys?" said Yakko. "I'm stuck."

"Me too," said Wakko.

"Me three!" said Dot.

"As long as you're green," she explained, "you can't escape! Unless you learn to face danger head-on...You won't last a  _ second  _ against me!"

"Bring it on."

She threw three arrows at him. As Yakko deflected them with his shield, he noticed that the arrow about to hit him first turned red. And once it hit his shield, the arrow coming next turned red as well. Undyne flashed a menacing smile.

"Not bad! Then how about THIS!?"

This time, she aimed at Wakko. She threw two spears towards his front, two towards his left, and two towards his right. He deflected all of them. Undyne held her fist in front of her head and shook it. Now, it was Dot's turn.

"Too easy!"

The bullets got faster.

"For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending..."

Left, right, left, right, right, left, left. Dot deflected all the arrows except for one, which hit her in the back. The cycle of Undyne's focus repeated in this pattern.

"And now, sunlight is just within our reach!"

Right, back, left, forward, right, back, left. Yakko could sense the arrows coming from all directions.

"That's why we don't have to fight!" he said, responding to Undyne.

Four quick forwards and his turn was over. He smiled to himself, liking how Undyne's arrows seemed to match the hectic background music.

"Just let us stay alive. We'll break the barrier on our own and nobody gets hurt."

"No one can break the barrier and stay alive at the same time, humanfolk!" said Undyne, refusing to let her guard down.

"Well, it was worth a shot."

She suplexed a huge boulder just because she could, but didn't hurl it at Yakko.

"Your lives are the very things trapping us down here and I  _ won't  _ let you snatch it away from us!"

Left, forward, forward, right, forward forward, left, forward, back!

"Whoa!" said Wakko, almost tripping over himself as he deflected the last arrow.

Undyne thought of her friends and pounded the ground with her fists.

"NGAHHH! Enough warming up!"

Left, forward, back, right, left, forward, back, right, back, forward! Dot got hit twice, reducing her health to almost three-quarters. Undyne passed her spear over the Warners' heads again, turning their souls and color schemes back to normal. She threw another spear coming from Dot's direction, wanting to hit all three of them. Reacting quickly, they all ducked. The scent of sushi filled the air as the three boundary boxes combined into one.

"Are ya sure ya don't wanna spare us?" said Yakko.

"Mercy? Ha! You might as well run away!"

A light bulb formed over Yakko's head.

_ Run away! That's it! _

Undyne threw clusters of spears all around the boundary box, making the Warners run from side to side. When this attack ended, he whispered his plan to his siblings, then they faced the knight once more.

"Well," Yakko told Undyne, "ya asked for it."

Yakko patted Wakko's back, making Wakko walk up to Undyne. Wearing his tough boxing gloves, he punched her in the jaw; it didn't do much harm.

"Tag, you're it!"

They slid under her legs and ran inside the cave of the mountain. They laughed as they ran, sensing that Undyne was indeed caught off-guard and chased after them. She started to gain up on them, however, and as they crossed a nearby river containing large ice cubes, she managed to swing her arm around Yakko, lifting him up and pinning his arms by his sides to prevent him from wiggling free.

"Gah!"

Wakko and Dot turned around and saw what was going on.

"Yakko!" they shouted.

"Help!"

Undyne passed her spear over Yakko's head, turning him green again before he could escape.

"You won't get away from me  _ this  _ time!"

"Well," said Dot, "we're right here if ya need us."

Wakko started stuffing his face with every healing item they had while Dot kicked back to read a magazine. Yakko faced Undyne again.

"Can't we just be friends?"

Undyne paused. She remembered someone...her attacks became a little less extreme. Yakko realized he must've gotten to her.

"Honestly, I'm doing you a favor..."

Forward, back, forward, back, back, forward, back, forward.

"No human has EVER made it past Asgore! What makes whatever you are any different?"

An arrow was coming slowly from the left...but Yakko could sense one coming rapidly at his front.

"Yikes!"

He pivoted as all the other arrows started coming quickly. Front, right, back, front, right, back, and finally left!

"Killing you now is an act of mercy!"

Right, right, right! Left, left, left! Yakko got hit by an arrow coming from behind him and winced, but he deflected another from the front. He deflected another arrow from behind, but got hit again by one aimed at his head. It hit him right in the ear.

"Ow!"

"So stop being so damn resilient!"

Forward, right, back, right, right, right, forward, back. The next set of arrows were faster. Right, forward, left, left! She passed her spear over his head and he ducked. She immediately passed her spear over his head again, grabbing his bad ear to stop him as she expected him to make another attempt at escaping.

"Oh, no you don't! You've escaped from me for the LAST time! Alphys told me humans and humanfolk were determined..."

Right, left, right, left. But the next arrow looked different. It came from the right, but had its back facing Yakko. Just as it was about to hit him, it flipped itself around and was about to hit his left side. Yakko gasped and tried to pivot, but was a little too late and got hit. Dot looked up from her magazine.

"Ooh, this is gettin' good!"

Wakko stopped eating and watched the fight with her. Undyne bounced impatiently.

"I see now what she meant by that!"

Right, left, back to front, back, left, right, up, back to front.

"But I'm determined, too!"

Rapid left, back, right, forward, right to left, front to back, left to right, and back to forward!

"Determined to end this RIGHT NOW!"

Right, right, left, left, back, front to back, forward, hit by a back to front, back, right, left!

"Woo!" Wakko cheered.

"You got this, Yakko!" said Dot.

"...RIGHT NOW!"

Left, forward, left, right to left, hit by left, right, almost got hit by right, left to right, forward!

"...RIGHT...NOW!"

Right, back, right, left, back, right, back, left, right, right!

"Now I'm gettin' the hang of it!" said Yakko.

"Ha...Ha..."

Left, left, three close lefts, left, right to left, left, right to left, right, left to right, right, left to right! Undyne towered threateningly over Yakko.

"NGAHHH! DIE ALREADY, YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

Right to left, front to back, left to right, back to front, and repeat this combination twice! Undyne passed her spear over Yakko's head, and he ducked for the third time. He took the toy knife out of his belt and decided to escape when he got the chance. He hit her right cheek, but it wasn't enough to actually hurt her.

"Tag, you're it!"

He ran away, dragging Wakko and Dot with him.

"STOP RUNNING AWAY!" she shouted, going after them once more.

"Catch us if ya can!" said Dot.

The narrow path led them further into the cave. The wall next to them had a long sign saying "Welcome to Hotland".

"COME BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE PUNKS!"

Suddenly, Dot's phone rang. She looked at it and saw Papyrus' name.

"Really, Dot?" said Yakko.

"What, I can't let him go to voicemail!"

He rolled his eyes as she answered the phone.

"HEY!" Papyrus greeted. "WHAT'S UP!?"

She rapidly explained her situation.

"Papyrus, now's not a good time to chat! We're in the middle of a  _ very _ intense game of tag with Undyne!"

"OH, SO YOU'VE ALREADY MET-"

"I'll call you back in a few minutes, ok? Bye!"

She hung up without giving Papyrus a chance to say goodbye. The setting changed and the Warners found themselves in a volcano-like environment.

"Boy," said Yakko, "it's gettin' hot in here!"

"Look," said Wakko, "it's Sans!"

He pointed to a sentry-station, where the lazy skeleton was taking a nap. They stopped for a moment and they yelled at him.

"Sans!"

"Sans, wake up!"

"Sans, stop sleeping and help us out here!"

Undyne was getting closer.

"Oh well," said Yakko.

They continued running, Undyne stopping to shake Sans and wake him up. The Warners crossed a bridge, making sure they didn't fall into the pit of lava below them, and they tumbled on the ground once they reached the other side, exhausted.

"That...was somethin'..." said Yakko.

"Yeah...sure was..." said Dot.

Wakko was already on his way to the cooler placed by his side. Meanwhile, Undyne caught up to them.

"Armor...so...hot...But I can't...Give up..."

She passed out on the bridge, looking dry.

Wakko turned around to look, drinking his cup of water before it could evaporate.

"Uhhhhh...Undyne?" said Yakko, approaching the fish knight and waving his hand over her face. "Hello?"

No response.

"She's out cold. Or should I say out  _ hot _ ?"

He chuckled and went over to the cooler. He got a cup of water and returned to Undyne.

"Hey, wake up!"

He threw the water on Undyne's face. Her body started shaking, then she got up. After looking to her left and right, she set her eyes back on the Warners. They stared at each other in awkward silence for a moment...then she walked away without saying a word.

"That was weird," said Yakko.

Dot suddenly remembered. Now that the fight was over, she could call Papyrus. She picked up her cell phone and called him.

"Hey, Papy! I'm back!"

"HELLO, DOT!"

"So, what did ya wanna say?"

"OH, I WAS JUST THINKING...YOU, ME, YOUR BROTHERS, AND UNDYNE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT SOMETIME! IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE ALREADY GETTING ALONG!"

Dot giggled.

"I KNEW YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS! LET'S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!"

"Sounds like a plan. See ya there, sweetheart!"

She hung up.

"Well?" said Wakko.

"We're goin' to Undyne's house!" said Dot, cheerful despite what just happened a few minutes ago; her brothers were the same way. However, the trio, especially Yakko, didn't feel like walking all the way back to Waterfall.

"Just skip to the next chapter."


	22. Undying Love

In a flash, the Warners made it back to Waterfall. Coming at the crossroads, they were healed by the twinkling star floating over the lake as they took off their battle armor. Remembering Undyne's house was on the left, they heard intense piano playing as they found Papyrus standing by the door. Dot couldn't be happier.

"OHO! THE HUMANFOLK ARRIVE!"

"Papy!" Dot shouted, jumping into Papyrus' arms and surprising him. "Did ya miss me? Admit it. Ya missed me, didn't ya?"

"VERY MUCH, DOT."

"How thoughtful of ya."

She kissed his other cheek, making him blush for a moment before she rejoined her brothers, who rolled their eyes at her. He took a few seconds to recompile himself.

"SO, ARE YOU THREE READY TO HANG OUT WITH UNDYNE AGAIN?"

"You bet!" said Yakko. "Looks like we're gonna see her without her armor on..."

Dot gave him an annoyed look.

"What?"

"ANYWAY," said Papyrus, "I HAVE A PLAN TO MAKE YOU FOUR GREATER FRIENDS! STAND BEHIND ME!"

They did as they were told; Yakko got behind Wakko, who got behind Dot, who got behind Papyrus. If Undyne opened the door at that moment, she wouldn't have noticed them.

"PSST. MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER THIS!"

He handed Dot a bone with a red ribbon tied around it. She handed it to Wakko, who handed it to Yakko. Wakko gave Papyrus a confused look.

"SHE LOVES THESE!"

Wakko understood now.

"Will do," said Yakko.

Papyrus knocked on the door, making the intense piano music stop. It opened as if it were the jaws of a fish. Undyne stepped out with a smile on her face.

"Hi, Papyrus! Ready for your extra-private, one-on-one training?"

The Warners had to hold back laughter at the bad timing.

"YOU BET I AM! AND I BROUGHT A FEW FRIENDS!"

Papyrus stepped out of the way. The Warners got to see Undyne without her armor on, just as Yakko predicted. She wore a black tank top with blue jeans and red boots similar to Papyrus', but with golden trims. According to Yakko and Wakko, Undyne's clothing seemed to really show off her blue scales and slim figure.

"Hi, I don't think we've..."

Yakko and Wakko panted like dogs as Undyne realized who they were.

"Hellooooooo nurse!"

They jumped into her arms.

"Wha-?! I'm not a nurse, you pu-"

"You're a knockout!" said Yakko. "A real bombshell!"

"Did it hurt when ya fell from heaven?" said Wakko.

They were about to kiss her, but Dot grabbed their tails and pulled them away from her.

"Snap out of it!"

She whacked them on the heads with her mallet, momentarily knocking them out. Then she gave an apologetic look to Undyne and extended her hand.

"Boys. Ya know how they can be."

"I'll say! What the hell  _ are  _ you guys?!"

Dot was about to respond, but Papyrus answered for her.

"THEY'RE CARTOONS, UNDYNE! YOU KNOW, LIKE THOSE SHOWS YOU AND ALPHYS LIKE!"

"...Actually, that explains a lot. Cartoons are great, but I'm more of an anime fan."

There was an awkward silence between the group of five as Undyne noticed Dot was still there with her unconscious brothers. Undyne broke it, feeling very uncomfortable yet trying to sound pleasant. She looked like she was straining herself as she put on a fake smile.

"Why don't. You all. Come in?"

"Alright!" said Yakko and Wakko, regaining consciousness.

They entered Undyne's humble abode. The walls were blue with pink polka-dots and the floor was filled with blue and yellow checkered squares. A giant sword was next to a table and a piano was placed right by the window. A blue door that probably led to a closet was next to a kitchen consisting of a sink, a stove, a countertop, and a refrigerator.

"HERE, UNDYNE. MY FRIENDS BROUGHT A GIFT FOR YOU, ALL ON THEIR OWN!"

Yakko handed her the bone.

"It's from the bottom of my heart."

"Uhhh...thanks."

"No problem, babe."

Yakko winked, Undyne rolling her eyes in response.

"I'll, uh, put it with the others."

It turns out she had a drawer filled with bones of the same kind.

"So, are we ready to start?"

"WHOOPSY DOOPSY! I JUST REMEMBERED! I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM! YOU FOUR HAVE FUN!"

Before they knew what was happening, Papyrus jumped out the window. The Warners burst with laughter, rolling on the floor.

"Oh my god Papyrus-" said Dot.

"Priceless!" said Yakko.

Undyne didn't know how to respond.

"..."

The Warners got off the ground and recovered.

"My sides hurt," said Wakko.

"So why are  _ you _ here?" Undyne asked. "To rub your victory in my face? To humiliate me even further? IS  _ THAT  _ IT?"

"Pesto in a nutshell," Dot whispered.

Yakko and Wakko nodded in agreement. The trio decided to pull a Squit in response, putting their hands up innocently.

"No, no, that's not what we're sayin'!" they said simultaneously.

"Then why are you here?"

Yakko opened his mouth to respond, but Undyne felt a light-bulb appear above her head.

"...! Wait, I get it. You think that I'm gonna be friends with you, huh? Right?"

"Well, Papyrus  _ did  _ invite us here, so..." said Dot.

Undyne took it as a yes and mocked them.

"Really? How delightful! I accept! Let's all frolic in the fields of friendship! ...NOT! Why would I EVER be friends with YOU!? If you weren't my houseguests, I'd beat you up right now!"

"Oh, please!" said Dot. " _ We _ would've beaten you up  _ first _ !"

"That doesn't matter! You're the enemies of everyone's hopes and dreams!"

"I beg to differ," said Yakko.

"I WILL NEVER BE YOUR FRIEND. Now get out of my house!"

Wakko shrugged and turned around with Dot, ready to leave. Yakko decided to end this with one last snarky yet flirty remark before joining them.

"Works for us, sweetheart. But if ya change your mind, call me."

Undyne was about to shout even more when Papyrus' face appeared in the broken window, also stopping the Warners from leaving.

"DANG! WHAT A SHAME...I THOUGHT UNDYNE COULD BE FRIENDS WITH YOU. BUT I GUESS...I OVERESTIMATED HER. SHE'S JUST NOT UP TO THE CHALLENGE."

"Ohhhhhh!" said the Warners, surprised at how savage Papyrus was.

"Look who just got roasted!" said Dot, proud of Papyrus for having the courage to stand up to Undyne.

Undyne, on the other hand, sounded very flustered.

"CHALLENGE!? What!? Papyrus! Wait a second...!"

He already left, much to Dot's dismay.

"Darnit!" said Undyne.

"Why'd he have to leave?" said Dot.

"Ugh, he thinks I can't be friends with YOU!? Fuhuhu! What a joke! I could make friends with weirdos like you three  _ any _ day! I'll show him!"

"Looks like that reverse psychology worked," said Yakko.

"Listen up, humanfolk. We're not just going to be friends. We're going to be...BESTIES."

She put her hands by her face.

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"I'll make you like me so much...You won't be able to think of anyone else!"

"Ya already succeeded, doll," said Yakko.

"Fuhuhuhu!" Undyne laughed. "It's the PERFECT REVENGE! ...Make yourself at home!"

Undyne folded her hands and acted like a genuinely happy hostess as the Warners looked around.

"Someone oughta clean that mess," said Wakko, pointing to the broken pieces of glass.

"I can't believe he leapt through the window like that," said Undyne.

"I know," said Dot. "Isn't he dreamy?"

She started floating. There was no doubt that she was smitten.

"Anyway, he normally NAILS the landing!"

The Warners laughed.

"Nice one!" said Yakko. "By the way, what's with the piano?"

"One time, Alphys'...Uh, friend? Came over here. All he did was lie seductively on it...And fed himself grapes."

"Like this?"

Yakko was lying seductively on the piano, feeding himself grapes that came out of nowhere and making flirty faces at Undyne while Wakko played a sexy tune on the drums.

"Can you stop?"

The boys did as she wished.

"Thanks. As I was saying, I don't really like that guy, but I admire his lifestyle."

"What's that door?" said Wakko.

"You wanna see my room?" Undyne asked, confirming that the door didn't lead to a closet.

Yakko and Wakko nodded eagerly as Dot rolled her eyes.

"TOO BAD! No nerds allowed! ...well, maybe  _ some  _ nerds..."

"Sweet kitchen," said Dot.

"This oven is some top-of-the-line MTT thing. But, y'know, as much as technology advances...Nothing beats food home-cooked with fire magic."

"Just like Toriel..." said Wakko.

In the sink was a teacup shaped like a fish. Next to the oven was a silverware drawer. It had forks, spoons, knives, tiny swords, spears, axes, nunchucks, etc. Wakko knocked on the fridge.

"I hate cold food," said Undyne. "So Alphys fixed up my fridge so it heats up food instead! Hot Fridge...The world's greatest invention!"

"I want one!" said Wakko.

Yakko examined the giant sword by the table.

"Humans suck," said Undyne, "but their history...Kinda rules. Case in point: This giant sword!"

"Don't remember seeing this in history class," said Yakko. "Yet again, we probably slept through that one."

"Historically, humans wielded swords up to 10x their size. RIGHT?"

"Yeah!" said Yakko, suddenly remembering medieval times.

"Heh, I knew it! When I first heard that, I immediately wanted one. So me and Alphys built a giant sword together. She figured out all the specs herself...She's smart, huh!?"

"Alphys sounds like a pretty cool chick," said Yakko.

"Yeah, she is. You know what? It's so nice to have you over! Why don't you take a seat at the table?"

They took their seats at the wooden table with the fish placemat on it.

"Comfortable? I'll get you something to drink."

She took some assorted drinks out of the fridge.

"All set! What would you like?"

Yakko stood up to go look, but Undyne threw a spear at him. Wakko and Dot pulled him back as the spear hit the table, breaking it in half.

"Thanks," Yakko muttered to his siblings.

"HEY! DON'T GET UP! YOU'RE THE GUEST! SIT DOWN AND ENJOY YOURSELF!"

"Man," said Dot, "she's a real hothead."

"Remind ya of someone?" said Yakko.

"Hey!"

"...Um, why not just point to what you want?" said Undyne. "You can use the spear!"

"Ya already know what I want."

Yakko picked up the spear and pointed it at Undyne, wiggling his eyebrows.

"...are you hitting on me again?"

This genuinely confused her.

"Well if I can't have ya," said Yakko, "at least lend me some sugar!"

He pointed the spear at the sugar.

"That sugar's for the tea. I'm not gonna give you a cup of sugar! What do I look like, the ice-cream woman? Do human ice-cream women TERRORIZE HUMANITY with ENERGY SPEARS? Are their songs a PRELUDE TO DESTRUCTION? IS THAT IT?"

The Warners played along, having run into an ice-cream woman who fit that same description.

"Yeah!" said Wakko.

"Oh, definitely!" said Dot.

"They sure do!" said Yakko.

"...what? REALLY?"

"You're darn right!" said Yakko.

"That rules!"

"Let's see, what else do I want?" said Yakko, thinking of another way to flirt with Undyne.

"That'll be enough of  _ that _ !" said Dot, taking it from Yakko's hands and accidentally pointing it at the sword.

"Believe me, I would GLADLY give you your fill of swords. If you weren't my beloved houseguest!"

"Can I have that?" said Wakko, taking the spear out of Dot's hand and pointing it at the fridge.

"The fridge!? You want to have the entire fridge!?"

Wakko nodded eagerly.

"No!"

Wakko whimpered like a puppy. Yakko patted his head to cheer him up.

"It's ok, Wakko."

"Give me that!" said Dot, yanking the spear out of Wakko's hands. "Some hot chocolate sounds good."

"Wait, wait, I just remembered...That container's empty. I stopped getting it because it was always a hassle...Asgore kept getting marshmallows stuck in his beard."

Since the soda appeared sickly to them, the Warners decided to go with tea. It was the blatantly correct choice.

"...tea, huh? Coming right up!"

She prepared the tea.

"It'll take a moment for the water to boil."

The kettle on the stovetop started whistling.

"Okay, it's all done!"

She poured the tea into three fish-shaped cups. She served them to Yakko, Wakko, and Dot.

"Here we are."

She sat down across from them.

"Careful, it's hot."

Wakko put his hands around his tea, hesitating to pick up his cup.

"It's not  _ THAT  _ hot! Just drink it already!"

They did; their tongues started to burn...

"It burns!" Wakko shouted, waving his hand over his mouth.

"Other than that," said Yakko, "it's not too bad."

"It's pretty good, right? Nothing but the best for my ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS FRIENDS!"

"Awwww," said Dot.

"Hey...You know...It's kind of strange you chose  _ that  _ tea."

"How come?" said Yakko.

"Golden Flower Tea...That's Asgore's favorite kind. Actually, now that I think about it...You kind of remind me of him. You're both TOTAL weenies! ...sort of. But to your credit, you're more outspoken, optimistic, and  _ definitely  _ zanier."

“We try our best!” said Wakko.

Yakko took another sip of the tea.

"Tell us about yourself. We've got the whole night, so go ahead and get everything off your chest."

"Well, I was a pretty hotheaded kid. Once, to prove I was the strongest, I tried to fight Asgore. Emphasis on TRIED. I couldn't land a single blow on him!"

"I betcha we would've been able to teach ya a thing or two about fighting if ya knew us back then."

"Yeah, I guess. But it's also pretty hard when he refused to fight back! I was so humiliated..."

"Who could blame ya?" said Dot.

"Afterwards, he apologized and said something goofy...'Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?' I said yes, and from then on, he trained me."

"And the rest is history?" said Wakko.

"Pretty much. One day, during practice, I finally knocked him down. I felt...bad. But he was beaming...I had never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked. Anyway, long story short, he kept training me...And now I'm the head of the Royal Guard! So I'm the one who gets to train dorks to fight! ...like, uh, Papyrus."

Dot sighed at the mention of his name.

"You're pretty lucky you get to train him. I'd love to be you if it meant seeing his sexy face every day..."

"You like him, don't you?"

"Uh-huh."

Undyne humored the young toon.

"I noticed when you tried to mallet me earlier today. You'd make a good girlfriend for him, protecting him like that."

"Too bad I got rejected."

"Yeah," said Yakko, "I was looking forward to having Sans as a brother-in-law."

"Me too!" said Wakko.

Undyne chuckled.

"But, um, to be honest...I don't know if...I can ever let Papyrus into the Royal Guard. Don't tell him I said that!"

"What?!" said Dot. "But he tries really hard!"

"Yeah," said Yakko, "he gave us one heck of a fight the other day!"

"That was a lot of fun..." said Wakko.

"He's just...Well...I mean, it's not that he's weak. He's actually pretty freaking tough!"

"Ya got  _ that  _ right!" said Dot.

"It's just that...He's...He's too innocent and nice! I mean, look, he was  _ supposed  _ to capture you three...And he ended up being  _ friends  _ with you instead!"

"True," said Yakko. "Yet again, he probably wouldn't hurt anyone who doesn't want to fight."

"Yeah, but he wouldn't attack anyone who tries to kill him either. I could  _ NEVER  _ send him into battle! He'd get ripped into little smiling shreds."

Dot suddenly remembered the nightmare where she ended up killing him. What came over her then, she didn't know. But it didn't scare her; she'd never let anything hurt him, including herself.

"That's part of why...I started teaching him how to cook, you know? So, um, maybe he can do something else with his life."

"If only he'd marry me," said Dot.

She swooned, Yakko and Wakko catching her before she hit the ground.

"Girls," said Yakko.

"Go fig," said Wakko.

"I've never seen someone so lovesick before," said Undyne.

"Who knows?" said Yakko, comforting Dot. "He might change his mind in the future."

"And that's why I'll never give up on him," said Dot.

Suddenly, Undyne remembered something.

"Oh, sorry, I was talking for so long...You're out of tea, aren't you...?"

"Yeah," said Wakko, "we finished a while ago."

"I'll go get you some more."

She walked to the kitchen, but stopped in her tracks.

"Wait a second. Papyrus...His cooking lesson...HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW! And if  _ he's  _ not here to have it...YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE IT FOR HIM!"

She did a flip, landed on the countertop, and kicked the beverages off.

"That's right! NOTHING has brought Papyrus and I closer than cooking! Which means that if I give you his lesson...WE'LL BECOME CLOSER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!"

The Warners got up out of their seats.

"Fuhuhu!" Undyne laughed. "We're gonna be best friends!"

"Alright!" said the Warners.

But they didn't expect Undyne to grab them by the ears and drag them to the cutting board.

"Whoa!"

"Hey!"

"Let's start with the sauce!" said Undyne as she put them down.

She stomped her foot on the floor and some vegetables fell from the ceiling.

"Envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy! Now! Pound them to dust with your fists!"

Yakko and Dot knocked over the tomatoes.

"Yes, that's it! I can feel our hearts pounding as one!"

Wakko, on the other hand, picked up a banana.

"Poor banana. When will Undyne realize you're not a vegetable?"

"OH MY GOD! STOP PETTING THE ENEMY! I'll show you how it's done! NGAHHH!"

With a powerful punch, all the vegetables made a large splat against the wall. Vegetable guts were spread across all four of their faces.

"Uhh, we'll just scrape this into a bowl later. But for NOW!"

The Warners wiped off the sauce as if it was nothing. Undyne, however, had a little difficulty. But it didn't matter.

"What's next?" said Wakko.

She stomped her foot on the ground again, summoning noodles and a pot.

"...we add the noodles! Homemade noodles are the best! BUT I JUST BUY STORE-BRAND! THEY'RE THE CHEAPEST! NGAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Uh, just put them in the pot."

Yakko did as she asked, carefully pouring them in the pot.

"Nice? Alright! Now it's time to stir the pasta! As a general rule of thumb, the more you stir...THE BETTER IT IS!"

"Yeah!" the Warners cheered, pumped up.

"Ready? Let's do it!"

Yakko started stirring.

"Stir harder!"

He tried going faster.

"HARDER!"

His arms started getting tired; he broke a sweat.

"HARDER!"

"Can't...go...any further..." he panted.

His arms went limp.

"What a workout!"

"Ugh, let me do it!"

She stabbed the pasta repeatedly with her spear until the pot was dented and squished.

"Keep it at this rate and she's gonna destroy the house!" said Yakko.

"Fuhuhuhu! That's the stuff! Alright. Now for the final step: TURN UP THE HEAT! Let the stovetop symbolize your passion! Let your hopes and dreams turn into burning fire!"

"I feel so inspired!" said Dot.

"READY? Don't hold anything back!"

The flames kicked in as Dot took control.

"Hotter!"

The flames grew.

"HOTTER, DARNIT!"

The flames started to become a raging fire.

"HOTTER!"

The raging fire was at its peak.

"Burn, baby! Burn!" Dot shouted.

"You got this!" said Yakko, whose arms recovered.

"Wait," said Undyne, starting to get concerned, "that's too-"

The fire exploded.

"Incoming!" said Dot.

"Duck and cover!" said Wakko.

They all ducked and shielded themselves. When they got back up, the walls were entirely red and tiny flames burst everywhere.

"Ah. Man, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking."

"Took the words right outta my mouth!" said Yakko.

There was a moment of silence; Undyne's face was covered in ashes.

"So, what's next? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets? ..."

"Something that doesn't involve cooking would be fine," said Wakko.

"...oh, who am I kidding. I really screwed this up, didn't I?"

"Nah," said Yakko, "it was fun. Intense, but fun."

"Don't pity me, Yakko. I can't force you to like me, toons. Some people just don't get along with each other. I understand if you feel that way about me. And if we can't be friends...That's okay. Because...If we're not friends...IT MEANS I CAN DESTROY YOU WITHOUT ANY REGRET!"

Before they could protest, Undyne initiated another encounter.

"I've been defeated...My house is in shambles...I even failed to befriend you. That's it. I don't care if you're my guest anymore. One final rematch! All out on both sides! IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN REGAIN MY LOST PRIDE! NOW COME ON! HIT ME WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT! NGAHHHH!"

Yakko took out his mallet.

"I can't kill her with this. Yet again, I wouldn't wanna scratch a good-lookin' body like  _ that _ ."

With that said, he pretended to swing at her with all his might. Holding back at the last minute, he dealt one damage.

"What. That's the best you can manage? Even attacking at full force...You just can't muster any intent to hurt me, huh?"

"We have morals, ya know."

"...Heh, you know what?"

She dropped her spear.

"I don't actually want to hurt you either. At first, I hated your stupid easy-going schticks, but...The way you hit me right now, it...Reminded me of someone I used to train with."

Asgore.

"Now I know you aren't just some zany weirdos. You're weirdos with big hearts!"

She flashed a big smile at them.

"A little bit like him..."

"Ya flatter us," said Yakko.

"Heh," said Dot, "we already knew."

"...Listen, toons. It seems that you and Asgore are fated to fight. But knowing him...He probably doesn't want to."

"Got any advice?" said Wakko.

"Talk to him. I'm sure you can persuade him to let you go home."

"But we're not leavin' until we break the barrier," said Yakko. "I know ya think we can't do it, but there's gotta be a way."

"You're that determined, aren't you? But maybe it won't be you three. Eventually, some mean human will fall down here...And I'll take  _ their  _ soul instead. That makes sense, right?"

"That works too," said Dot.

"Fuhuhu. Oh, and if you  _ do  _ hurt Asgore...I'll take the human souls...Cross the barrier...And beat the hell out of you! That's what friends are for, right?"

The Warners chuckled.

"Now you're gettin' the hang of it," said Yakko.

"Fuhuhu! Now let's get the hell out of this flaming house!"

Once they stepped outside, the group of four finally declared that it was the start of yet another friendship in the Underground.

"Well, that was fun, huh?" said Undyne.

"Definitely!" said Dot.

"We should do it again sometime!" said Yakko.

"Yeah! But, uh, somewhere else, I guess. In the meantime, I guess I'll go hang with Papyrus."

"Take me with you!" said Dot.

Undyne laughed.

"Sorry, Dot. But you and your brothers have some work to do."

"Aw, man!"

"Hey, if you need me, drop by Snowdin, OK!?"

"Got it!" said Yakko.

"OH! And if you ever need help...Just give Papyrus a ring, ok? Since we're in the same spot, I'll be able to talk too!"

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"Well, see ya later, toons!"

"Bye!" said the Warners, waving as she left.

The fact that the Warners now had Undyne as extra support filled them with determination.


	23. Night Skies and Night Frights

The Warners were leaving Undyne's house. Despite the rejection, Yakko still thought she was hot.

"It's been only a few seconds and I miss good ol' Fish Stick already."

He stopped in his tracks and snapped his fingers.

"I knew I was forgetting a nickname!"

Yakko made a mental note to call her that more often.

"But in the meantime, we've gotta make another quick stop."

They arrived at Napstablook's house, keeping their word about dropping by later.

"come in..."

They entered, 8-bit music playing in the background. The house was strange, having only a refrigerator, three CD cases, an old computer with a hard drive and a mouse, a TV, and a desk for furniture. It sounds pretty pathetic at first, but if you think about it, there's not much needed when you're a ghost.

"Guess who!" said Dot.

Napstablook, wearing headphones, turned around and gasped.

"oh...you really came..."

"Of course we did!" said Yakko.

"Are ya happy to see us?" said Wakko.

"yeah..."

Napstablook seemed happy and very surprised. It was a dead giveaway.

"Nice place," said Dot, her eyes darting around as there wasn't much to see.

"sorry, i wasn't expecting you three to come...it's not much, but make yourself at home."

"Thanks!" said Wakko.

Dot cleaned up the spider web with a flyer for the spider bake sale stuck on it in the corner, giving Wakko the flyer.

"uh...do you wanna...listen to some tunes? or something..."

Wakko looked at one of the CDs.

"What's Ghouliday Music?"

Napstablook played it; it sounded like a ghost ooohing to "Jingle Bells".

"How about this one?" said Dot, putting in a CD labeled "Spookwave".

It sounded like scary castle music from a video game.

"Not bad," said Yakko. "Did ya compose it?"

"yeah...i make my own music."

"I like it!" said Wakko, swaying his head to the beat of the music.

"thanks..."

"I didn't know ghosts watch TV," said Dot.

"there's a show i like to watch on it...sometimes..."

"Is it that MTT thingy?"

"yeah..."

"What does it stand for, anyway?"

"'mettaton'."

"Oh," said Dot, finally understanding the abbreviation.

Wakko looked at the refrigerator and patted his stomach.

"oh...are you hungry? i can get you something to eat..."

"Yeah!" said Wakko, filled with excitement.

Napstablook opened up the fridge and brought out a clear sandwich.

"this is a ghost sandwich...do you want to try it..."

"Don't mind if I do!"

He tried to grab it, but the sandwich passed right through his hands. He made a sad face.

"oh...nevermind..."

Yakko comforted his little brother.

"Don't worry, Wakko. We still have that jumbo Nice Cream."

"Alright!"

Wakko pulled it out of his Gag Bag, immediately cheering up. All three of them started to eat, getting rid of any awkwardness at the moment. Napstablook watched them with his usual blank expression, but they could tell he was content. Once they were finished, the only healing item left was the Spider Cider.

"So," said Dot when they were finished eating, "whaddya wanna do now?"

"after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage..."

They gave him weird looks, feeling like his self-esteem should be bumped up a few notches.

"it's a family tradition..."

"Oh," said Wakko.

"do you want...to join me..."

"Well," said Yakko, shrugging his shoulders, "I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"Count me in," said Dot.

"Me too!" said Wakko.

"okay...follow my lead..."

They were lying on the ground in the middle of the house with Napstablook, following his example.

"here we go...you'll lie down as long as you don't move. so...only move around if you want to get up, i guess."

The Warners closed their eyes. 15 seconds later, they opened them again. They widened as the room began to disappear and an out-of-body experience, pretty much a meditation, started. They beheld a sight of flurries of stars all around them.

"Whoa..." said Wakko.

"Sibs," said Yakko, breathless, "are you seeing this...?"

Dot nodded. They've never been so close to the cosmos when there were no spaceships to provide oxygen for them. They jumped on each star, getting higher and higher, and laughed as they explored this beauty.

"I don't believe it!" said Dot.

It felt weird, knowing that this was like a hallucination or a dream. But it was also very calm and relaxing.

"It's like we're touching the sky..." said Wakko.

"I don't want this to end," said Yakko.

Unfortunately, it had to. They couldn't stay in a dreamworld forever. Feeling like they returned to their bodies, they stood up and stretched.

"well, that was nice..." said Napstablook.

"Are you kidding?!" said Yakko. "That was AWESOME!"

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"I don't even know what to say!" said Dot.

"thank you..."

"No, thank _you_ , Napstablook!" said Yakko. "You showed us something amazing. You should be proud!"

Napstablook blushed a little.

"hey...it's getting late...maybe, if you want...you can stay for the night...no pressure...you don't have to if you don't want to..."

"What, us?" said Yakko. "Moi? Stay the night? Well, only if you insist."

"sure..."

"Aw, you're too nice!" said Dot, hugging the ghost as best as she could. "Thanks, Napstablook!"

"you're welcome...sorry i don't have a bed for you..."

"No problem!" said Wakko, pulling out three sleeping bags for himself and his siblings.

"oh..."

He also summoned a wardrobe for them to change into their pajamas.

"Well," said Yakko, "I guess it's time to turn in."

"To what?" said Wakko.

"To sleeping kids!" said Dot.

"Oh."

They got into their beds.

"goodnight..."

"Night!" they responded.

* * *

_Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS._

_One day, they all disappeared without a trace._

"Ugh, where am I?"

Yakko found himself in a black space. He tried to walk around, but a strange sensation hit him. It felt as if he was going nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

"Wakko?" he called out. "Dot? Anybody here?"

He ran around in all directions, having that feeling again. Maybe he was moving, or it was simply the world that moved as he ran in place. He started to panic until he found a shining star. He ran towards it, feeling its warmth. He sighed in relief, knowing that he was not alone. Suddenly, the ground shook, making Yakko jump, and the star cracked.

"Huh?!"

It happened again, with a bigger impact.

"Whoa!"

It hit a third time.

"Uah!"

The star shattered and a huge screen appeared in its place, knocking Yakko off his feet.

"Aaaugh!"

"Howdy! It's me, Flowey. Flowey the Flower!"

Flowey's face was projected onto the screen and he winked at Yakko, who got up.

"Whaddya want?"

"I owe you a HUGE thanks. You really did a number on that old fool."

"What are ya talkin' about?"

"King Asgore, you idiot! Without you, I _never_ could have gotten past him."

His face shapeshifted into one unrecognizable to Yakko.

"But now, with _your_ help..."

It changed into a skull and Flowey's more intimidating creepy voice was heard.

"He's dead. And I'VE got the human souls!"

It was at this point that Yakko realized he was in the future. Flowey cackled evilly, then his voice returned to normal. It constantly changed back and forth during their little conversation.

"Boy! I've been empty for so long...It feels great to have a soul inside me again!"

"Wait, you're soulless? No wonder you're actin' this way."

"Mmmm, I can feel them wriggling..."

"Ew, I don't need to know that!"

He looked away and felt like he was gonna throw up.

"Awww, you're feeling left out, aren't you? Well, that's just perfect. After all, I only have six souls. I still need one more...Before I can become GOD."

"Uhhhhh...I don't think that's how it works."

Flowey ignored him.

"And then, with my newfound powers..."

His face shapeshifted into Toriel's.

"Monsters."

His face shapeshifted into a blank expression.

"Humans."

His face projected an image of Wakko and Dot cowering in fear.

"Everyone."

Yakko couldn't take it anymore. He was getting angry, but mostly scared for his siblings' safety.

"Sibs...!"

"I'll show them all the REAL meaning of this world!"

"What did you do to them...?"

Flowey evilly cackled again.

"What did you do to them?!"

"Oh, they're fine...for now. It's _you_ everyone should be worried about. Don't you get it? You're in _my_ world now."

Yakko gulped.

"And don't even think about escaping and going back to your old timeline. Your family. friends. Your home. Everyone. Everything. They're gone FOREVER. You can _never_ go back!"

Yakko gasped. He reached for his mallet, but discovered himself to be weaponless. Now, he was powerless.

"But don't worry. Your old friend Flowey...Has worked out a replacement for you! I'll save over your own death. So you can watch me tear you to bloody pieces...Over, and over, and over..."

Flowey had taken everything away from the toon except for one thing: his courage.

"No!" said Yakko, filled with determination as he took a step forward.

"...what?"

"I won't let ya do this!"

"Do you really think you can stop _me_?"

"Yeah! I'm not afraid of ya!"

"Hee hee hee...You really _are_ an idiot."

His face disappeared as Yakko's soul activated, albeit without a boundary box to surround it. Six more, light blue, orange, dark blue, purple, green, and yellow, appeared, and dissolved. The space started flashing black and red as Flowey appeared in a new form. First approaching in silhouette, two claws with vines were attached to a larger body. A brain, maybe, with large jaws, connected to a huge rectangle. Yakko changed his mind; he was terrified. Flowey's face appeared, his eyes becoming bloodshot and his grin expanding to the point of making look like a psychopath. Yet again, he was part psychopath and part sociopath. When his full body appeared, Yakko could finally get a full glimpse of him and froze up in fear. Oh, the horror.

_What the hell...?_

Yakko rarely swore, but this was an exception. Good thing it was just a thought or else the censors could be after his head. Flowey looked like a badly photoshopped monstrosity, compete with the brain-like head connected to the television and showing four eyes. Hooks and wires connected the vines to his enlarged arms. Yakko was knocked off his feet once more as Photoshop Flowey let out an evil ground-shaking laugh. Before he knew it, Yakko found himself being pelted by large bullets.

_WHAT'S GOING ON?!_

More thoughts like this went through his head. He was deeply disturbed, scared, and running for his life. He tried to scream and call for help, but his voice temporarily stopped working. Blow by blow, he was hit by ninja stars, laser vines, and egg/bacon bullets. Eventually, he found a fight box and pressed it, dealing only one damage to his enemy. He collapsed on the ground, bleeding from all parts of his body. Finally, his soul shattered into a million pieces and he died. Yakko found himself becoming pure soul as it left his body, which disappeared into thin air. Due to being pure soul, he was floating over a nonexistent ground. In big bold letters, he found himself face to face with a giant **GAME OVER**.

"This is all just a bad dream..." an unknown deep voice comforted Yakko, trying to give him hope.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what this is! A bad dream! I can get outta-"

"And you're _NEVER_ waking up!" Flowey's creepy voice replaced the deeper one from before.

Visible laughter filled the space as Yakko suddenly dropped and fell into a deep, dark pit. Yakko screamed and desperately tried to wake up. It was no use. He would be trapped, falling down for all eternity and ceasing to exist in his timeline...

* * *

"Wake up, Yakko!" said Dot, desperately shaking her brother.

Wakko and Dot had woken up that morning; everything seemed peaceful at first. But after an hour or two, they found Yakko kicking restlessly and flailing in his sleep as if he was being attacked and tried to fight back. They immediately got worried once he started screaming and attempted to wake their brother.

"Come on, Yakko!" Dot shouted. "Wake up!"

"It's just a nightmare!" said Wakko.

Yakko jumped up and opened his eyes, wide awake and panting heavily. He had come back to life.

"I...I'm back!"

He hugged his siblings, then let them go after a minute or two.

"What's the matter?" said Dot.

Before giving them an explanation, Yakko had to ask a question.

"What happened when I was gone?"

They looked at each other and thought he meant when he was asleep.

"We went to Gerson's to get breakfast and Wakko started to write a book on our adventures in the underground. Napstablook's at work so we told him we're leaving once ya wake up."

Yakko let out a sigh of relief. It really _was_ only a dream!

"Why'd ya ask?" said Wakko.

Yakko told them everything.

"What was it like being dead?" said Dot.

" _Way_ different than what Wakko went through. Can ya believe that _this_ had to go through all _that_?"

He signaled to his own body, Wakko and Dot shaking their heads.

"Well," said Dot, "we know what _not_ to do when we meet Asgore."

Yakko nodded, still feeling grateful that Wakko and Dot woke him up. There was the possibility that if it wasn't for them, he could've been trapped in Flowey's world forever. He got rid of that thought, though, as he asked Wakko about his book. Wakko and Dot had written about everything up to the fight with Undyne in the torn notebook they bought from Gerson.

"I can tell ya wrote all those bits about Papyrus," said Yakko.

"Yeah. Isn't it great?"

"I wrote everything about Goat Mom!" said Wakko.

"Can't believe ya got every little detail _exactly_ on point!" said Yakko. "Yet again, I would've been able to do the same. Gimme that pencil for a minute, will ya?"

He wrote everything up to the point where they were now. He also had breakfast, as Dot brought back a crabapple and some sea tea for him.

"Well, got that taken care of. Hey, did we ever play that third CD?"

"I don't think so," said Dot.

The label said "Spooktune". Putting it into the computer, it sounded similar to "Spookwave", but with a certain twist. The Warners burst with laugher.

"It sounds like someone literally farted it out!" said Yakko.

Wakko proceeded to imitate the music with arm pit farts, making Yakko and Dot laugh even more. After recovering, they decided to leave the song on. As they left the house, Aaron and Woshua initiated an encounter. Before attacking, though, their eyes widened and their faces scrunched up.

"...what the HECK is that music?" said Woshua.

"I-I DUNNO, DUDE BUT IT'S SPOOKIN ME OUT ;)" said Aaron.

They proceeded to have a conversation about the music, completely ignoring the Warners.

"...this is worse than Shyren."

"No way, Shyren is way less scary ;)"

"...if you're so scared, why do you keep winking?"

"THESE ARE WINKS OF FEAR ;)"

"Forget it. This beat is too...filthy."

The Warners were laughing throughout the entire conversation; Woshua started to leave.

"Wosh! Wait! Don't leave me ;) Is this creepy music my punishment for being creepy? ;) Please...stop...I'll never creep again ;) Wahhhhh! ;)"

And with that, the encounter ended.

"That was great!" said Yakko as he turned off the music. "Well, we better go back to Hotland. Wonder what's in store for us there?"

The thought of exploring new places filled the Warners with determination.


	24. A Star is Born

The Warners, having successfully befriended Undyne, started to think that there wasn't much more they should be afraid of now that the fish knight was no longer a threat. The only thing they really had to keep an eye out for was Flowey; he was still out there stalking them. Despite this, he wasn't a big deal at the moment, for as long as they knew to continue sparing every monster they met, the chance that Flowey could overpower them the same way he did in Yakko's nightmare would be nonexistent. This was something the Warners could use to their advantage as they couldn't consider it a challenge. After all, they had a natural-born ability to get along with everyone in the Underground, even if it took a while to befriend some of them.

After walking for a while, they made it back to Hotland, where two guards stood at their post and blocked a passageway.

"Hey," said Dot, "whatcha doin'?"

"Sorry..." said the first guard. "Undyne, like, told us there was totally a human in the area. So, like, us Royal Guards are blocking off the elevators for now.”

He looked up and pounded his fist against his chest.

"Ngah! Even if the elevators aren't working anyway, we'll do our best, Ms. Undyne!"

"That's nice to know," said Dot.

The second guard was silent until Dot stared at him for a while.

"...what?"

"Aren't ya gonna say anything, sweetie?"

He shook his head.

"Oh...ok."

They left and found a twinkling star on the ground, filling them with determination. Across from them sat a hooded riverperson on a canoe while there was a laboratory in front.

"Whoa," said Yakko, "would ya look at that?"

As they walked towards it, the door automatically opened.

"I guess we better go in," said Wakko.

They entered to find complete darkness. The door closed as well, so that most likely meant no turning back. However, as they continued onward, they found three large screens centered on each of their faces.

"It's...us?" said Dot.

"Well," said Yakko, "at least we know who put out all those cameras."

They shrugged it off and continued moving forward until a short lizard (or dinosaur, they couldn't tell) wearing a lab coat and glasses entered the room and turned on the lights. She didn't notice them at first, but when she turned around, she gasped, put her hands on her face, and spoke with a slightly raspy voice.

"Oh. My god. I didn't expect you to show up so soon! I haven't showered, I'm barely dressed, it's all messy, and..."

The Warners exchanged confused glances as the lizard started to calm herself down.

"Ummm...H-h-hiya! I'm Dr. Alphys. I'm Asgore's royal scientist!"

"Hi!" said all three of the Warners in unison.

"We're the Warner Brothers!" said Yakko and Wakko.

" _ And  _ the Warner Sister!" said Dot.

"Y-y-you don't really need to introduce yourselves. I already know who you are."

"We get that a lot," said Yakko. "So, you're the one who set up those cameras?"

"Yeah. Actually, since you stepped out of the Ruins, I've, um...been 'observing' your journey through my console. Your fights...Your friendships...Everything!"

Alphys started to blush, but Dot took care of it.

"Don't worry about it, hon. We love the publicity!"

"I can tell, e-especially when you made those funny faces in Waterfall!"

She giggled.

"I was originally going to stop you three, but...Watching someone on a screen really makes you root for them."

"You can say that again," said Yakko.

"S-so, ahhh, now I want to help you! Using my knowledge, I can easily guide you through Hotland! I know a way right to Asgore's castle, no problem!"

"That's great!" Dot cheered.

"Lead the way!" said Wakko.

"Well, actually, umm, there's just a tiny issue."

"Probably nothin' we can't handle," said Yakko.

"Try not to get ahead of yourself, Yakko. As I was saying, a long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton."

"Hey," said Dot, "I think that's the MTT thing I saw on Papyrus' TV! Why should we worry about a guy like  _ that _ ?"

"Well, I originally built him to be an entertainment robot. Uh, you know, the way you saw him: a robotic TV star. Anyway, I recently decided to make him more useful. You know, just some small practical adjustments. Like, um...Anti...anti-surface people combat features?"

Alphys started to sweat nervously.

"Oh," said Yakko, "I can see where this is going."

"Of c-course," said Alphys, "when I saw you coming, I immediately decided...I have to remove those features! Unfortunately, I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so."

"Let me guess," said Yakko, "he went haywire instead?"

"Well, um...now he's an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for surface creature blood?"

"That's what I thought," said Yakko. "Looks like we're gonna have to fight him."

"Ehehehehe...you're taking this really well."

"Of course we are!" said Yakko. "We're cartoons; we can handle stuff like this! So don't you worry about a thing, ok?"

"I-I guess you're right. But, ummm, hopefully we won't run into him!"

Almost right after she said that, a large thud was heard.

"...Did you hear something?" said Alphys.

Another thud was heard, this time being powerful enough to make the Warners and Alphys jump.

"Alphys," said Dot, "don't take it personal but I think ya jinxed us."

Five more powerful thuds had a bigger impact on them.

"What's going on?" said Wakko.

"Oh no," said Alphys.

Suddenly something crashed into the wall and the lights went out.

" **OHHHH YES!** "

"That's him, isn't it?" said Wakko.

" **WELCOME, BEAUTIES...** "

A spotlight landed on a rectangular robot holding a microphone. He didn't have any legs, but instead rolled into the scene with a wheel.

" **...TO TODAY'S QUIZ SHOW!** "

Confetti fell from the ceiling and a sign that said "Game Show" appeared over Mettaton's body with two disco balls next to it.

"Not gonna lie," said Yakko, "but I didn't see this comin'."

" **OH BOY! I CAN ALREADY TELL IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT SHOW! AFTER ALL, OUR LOVELY CONTESTANTS ARE STARS LIKE ME. STRAIGHT FROM THE SURFACE AND FROM THE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL CARTOON 'ANIMANIACS', EVERYBODY GIVE A BIG HAND FOR OUR WONDERFUL CONTESTANTS: YAKKO, WAKKO, AND DOT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE WARNER BROTHERS AND SISTER!** "

" _ Finally  _ someone down here knows about our show!" said Dot.

"Aw," said Yakko, extending his hand, "ya flatter us."

" **NEVER PLAYED BEFORE, GORGEOUS?** "

"Can't say we have," said Wakko.

" **NO PROBLEM! IT'S SIMPLE! THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE.** "

His screen changed so the red pixels would reveal the number 1.

" **ANSWER CORRECTLY...OR YOU DIE!"**

"Wait, what?" said Dot.

All three of them were so caught up in Mettaton's surprise introduction that they forgot about Alphys' warning. Right after Dot had her reaction, the three of them found their souls activating as a stand appeared for each of them, containing a small microphone, a timer, and four buttons marked "A", "B", "C", and "D".

" **LET'S START WITH AN EASY ONE!** " said Mettaton, starting the quiz.

Yakko immediately pushed his "D" button before Mettaton could ask the question.

"More questions!"

" **I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING YET, BUT-** "

Wakko pushed his "D" button as well.

"More questions!"

Dot also pushed her "D" button.

"More questions!"'

" **...AS I WAS SAYING, YOU'RE RIGHT! SOUNDS LIKE YOU GET IT!** "

The Warners cheered.

" **HERE'S YOUR TERRIFIC PRIZE! WHAT'S THE KING'S FULL NAME?** "

Wakko pushed his "C" button.

"Asgore Dreemurr!"

" **CORRECT! WHAT A TERRIFIC ANSWER! BUT ENOUGH ABOUT YOU. LET'S TALK ABOUT ME! WHAT ARE ROBOTS MADE OF?** "

Dot pushed her "B" button.

"That's easy. Metal and magic!"

" **TOO EASY FOR YOU, HUH? HERE'S ANOTHER EASY ONE FOR YOU! TWO TRAINS, TRAIN A AND TRAIN B, SIMULTANEOUSLY DEPART STATION A AND STATION B. STATION A AND STATION B ARE 252.5 MILES APART FROM EACH OTHER. TRAIN A IS MOVING AT 124.7MPH TOWARDS STATION B, AND AND TRAIN B IS MOVING AT 253.5MPH TOWARDS STATION A.** "

"What  _ is  _ this?" said Dot, the question being too math-y and starting to irritate her.

"I'm confused..." said Wakko, scratching his head.

" **IF BOTH TRAINS DEPARTED AT 10:00AM AND IT IS NOW 10:08, HOW MUCH LONGER UNTIL BOTH TRAINS PASS EACH OTHER?** "

They didn't know how to answer this one, but managed to spot Alphys making the letter "D" with her hands. Yakko looked away as if he was about to get hurt and pushed his "D" button with his finger.

"Uhhhh...32.058 minutes?"

" **WONDERFUL! I'M ASTOUNDED, FOLKS!** "

They all let out sighs of relief.

" **DON'T 'COUNT' ON YOUR VICTORY...** "

Wakko managed to play the drums and accompany Mettaton's pun.

" **HOW MANY FLIES ARE IN THIS JAR?** "

The Warners' eyes moved quickly as they examined the jar. All three of them pushed their "A" buttons and answered the question simultaneously.

"54!"

" **CORRECT! YOU'RE SO LUCKY TODAY! LET'S PLAY MEMORY GAME. WHAT MONSTER IS THIS?** "

It showed half the face of a froggit. Wakko was about to slam his fist on his "A" button, but managed to catch Alphys making the letter "D" with her hands out of the glimpse of his eye. He stopped himself and changed his answer, answering triumphantly.

"You!"

Yakko and Dot felt like facepalming themselves until the photo zoomed out to show a picture of Mettaton wearing a froggit shirt.

" **I'M SO FLATTERED YOU REMEMBERED!** "

"Boy," Dot whispered to Yakko, "I can't believe we almost fell for that!"

" **BUT CAN YOU GET** **_THIS_ ** **ONE? WOULD YOU SMOOCH A GHOST?** "

Alphys had an annoyed look on her face since all the answers were "Heck Yeah". Strangely enough, the timer started counting up instead of down this time. Yakko pushed his "A" button.

"Heck yeah!"

Wakkp pushed his "B" button.

"Heck yeah!"

Dot pushed her "C" button.

"I'd rather kiss a skeleton. But that's not an answer, so heck yeah."

" **GREAT ANSWERS! I LOVE THEM! EVEN THE BRUTALLY HONEST ONE.** "

"You're too much," said Dot.

" **HERE'S A SIMPLE ONE. HOW MANY LETTERS IN THE NAME METTATON NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN** "

The N's kept appearing and the numbers in the answers kept increasing; this was incredibly mind-boggling for the Warners. However, they managed to see "8" as the original number on the "C" button, so Yakko went for it.

"It's C! Just make it stop, I'm begging you!"

" **OF COURSE THAT WAS EASY FOR YOU!** "

"Ugh, I think that question gave me a headache."

" **TIME TO BREAK OUT THE BIG GUNS! IN THE DATING SIMULATION VIDEO GAME 'MEW MEW KISSY CUTIE' WHAT IS MEW MEW'S FAVORITE FOOD?** "

Before the answers could be revealed to the Warners, Alphys raised her hand.

"OH! OH! I KNOW THIS ONE! IT'S SNAIL ICE CREAM!"

She blurted out the rest of the answer without stopping to take a breath.

"IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER EVERYONE GOES TO THE BEACH! AND SHE BUYS ICE CREAM FOR ALL OF HER FRIENDS! BUT IT'S SNAIL FLAVOR AND SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS IT! IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE GAME BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY POWERFUL message about friendship and..."

She realized what she just did and started sweating. Mettaton wagged his finger at the scientist and gave her a disapproving look while the Warners looked at her with wide eyes for a moment. They snickered, trying not to laugh at Alphys geeking out.

" **ALPHYS, ALPHYS, ALPHYS. YOU AREN'T HELPING OUR CONTESTANT, ARE YOU? OOOOOOH! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. I'LL ASK A QUESTION...YOU'LL BE SURE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO!** "

The Warners looked at each other deviously.

"This is gonna be good..." said Dot.

" **Who does Dr. Alphys have a crush on?** "

She moved her hands as if to tell them not to answer. This time, the timer stayed at 30 seconds and didn't count down from there. The Warners didn't really think about the answers and each chose a different one at random. Yakko pressed his "A" button, Dot pressed her "B" button, and Wakko pressed his "D" button.

"Undyne!"

"Asgore!"

"I don't know."

Mettaton decided to start with Wakko.

" **CORRECT. DR. ALPHYS HAS A CRUSH ON...THE UNKNOWABLE.** "

Alphys glared at him.

" **I'M JUST KIDDING! AS FOR YOU, YOUNG LADY...** "

He looked at Dot.

" **WHY WOULD SOMEONE OUTFIT AN AMUSEMENT ROBOT...WITH BRUTAL COMBAT ABILITIES?** "

Dot opened her mouth to answer, but Mettaton interrupted her.

" **SIMPLE. TO IMPRESS MR. ASGORE DREEMURR, OF COURSE! OR AS ALPHYS CALLS HIM...'MR. DREAMY.'** "

Alphys blushed and hid her face.

" **THOSE STRONG ARMS...THAT LUSTROUS BEARD...LIKE ALL THOSE WHO CREATE WEAPONS, SHE CRAVES THE TENDER EMBRACE OF A BURLY MAN. CAN SHE BE TRULY BLAMED? BUT NEVER MIND ALL THAT; IT'S IN THE PAST. ALPHYS HAS LEARNED TO MOVE ON. AND ISN'T IT OBVIOUS WHO SHE LIKES** **_NOW_ ** **? EVEN YAKKO WARNER HIMSELF FIGURED IT OUT.** "

Yakko realized his answer was right and pumped his fists in the air.

"Oh, yeah! Now  _ that's  _ what I'm talkin' about!"

" **YES, SHE SCRAWLS HER NAME IN THE MARGINS OF HER NOTES. SHE NAMES PROGRAMMING VARIABLES AFTER HER. SHE EVEN WRITES STORIES OF THEM TOGETHER...SHARING A DOMESTIC LIFE. PROBABILITY OF CRUSH: 101 PERCENT. MARGIN OF ERROR: ONE PERCENT.** "

Yakko smiled smugly at his siblings for answering correctly.

"Oh, come on!" said Dot. "You chose without even thinking!"

" **WELL WELL WELL. WITH DR. ALPHYS HELPING YOU...THE SHOW HAS NO DRAMATIC TENSION! WE CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS! BUT. BUT! THIS WAS JUST THE PILOT EPISODE! NEXT UP, MORE DRAMA! MORE ROMANCE! MORE BLOODSHED! UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS...!** "

His arms and wheel entered his rectangular body and he blasted off into the air as the stools disappeared and the Warners waved.

"Bye, Mettaton!" said Wakko.

"See ya later!" said Dot.

The lights went back to normal.

"...Well that was certainly something," said Alphys.

"Yeah," said Yakko, "it was different than what we expected. Can't wait to see what he has in store next time."

"Sorry he had to humiliate you like that," said Wakko, patting Alphys on the back.

"I-it's ok. He wasn't s-supposed to ask that one..."

"We should get goin'," said Dot.

"Yeah," said Yakko. "If ya need anything, just find us on that screen of yours, ok?"

They were about to exit the lab when Alphys stopped them.

"Wait, wait!"

"That was quick," said Yakko.

Alphys walked up to them.

"Let me give you my ph-phone number!"

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"Even better," said Dot.

"Th-then...m-maybe...If you need help, I could..."

"Sounds good with us," said Yakko.

"Wh...why is your wifi down!? You can only get calls and texts on these things!"

Yakko shrugged.

"Guess they're not used to being underground."

"W-wait a second, please! Can I upgrade them for you?"

"Sure!" said Dot. "It'd be nice to have the internet back."

Alphys took their cell phones and upgraded them, then handed them back to the Warners.

"All done! They can do items, they have key chains...I even signed you three up for the underground's No. 1 social network! Now we're officially friends!"

"Alright!" said all three Warners.

"Thanks, Alphys!" said Wakko.

"No problem!" said Alphys. "Glad I could help! Also, I'm a big fan of your show. I used to watch it as much as my favorite anime!"

"Really?" said Dot. "Ya flatter us, Alphys. We're not really well-known down here, though."

"I-it used to be popular in the underground until it got taken off the air."

"Oh," said Yakko. "I guess that makes sense; the same thing happened on the surface too."

"You know, you three just might ani-make it out of here! Ehehehe...hehe..."

Yakko and Dot chuckled while Wakko played the drums for Alphys.

"Good one," said Dot.

Alphys started sweating and got silent for a moment, not knowing what else to say.

"What's the matter?" said Yakko. "Getting cold feet again?"

"I'm going to the bathroom."

She ran away and entered an elevator-like door with a bathroom sign next to it.

"Let's explore this place for a bit," said Yakko.

The hole in the wall wasn't too wide, since Mettaton was probably waiting behind there to make his entrance. Looking at all the furniture they missed in the dark, they found a half-full bag of dog food, a fridge filled with instant noodles and soda, them taking a package of noodles, a desk with a beat-up figurine of a female human with cat ears, a computer accessing some kind of puzzle in Snowdin, and many notes to something written all in chicken scratch, probably a walkthrough to a game.

"Hey," said Wakko, "aren't we in one right now?"

"She knows," said Yakko. "We better run."

They headed for the door, but stopped.

"But first, we're going upstairs!" said Yakko.

They got onto the escalator and found many bookshelves. One had very dusty scientific books. The next one was labeled "Human History". Yakko grabbed one and started reading.

"Hey sibs, check this out!"

"Is that a giant alien fighting an alien princess?" said Dot.

"Helloooooo nurse!" said Yakko and Wakko.

"It's not even accurate," said Yakko, "but it's a pretty good comic book. I'll ask Alphys if I can borrow it later."

The third bookshelf had various VHSes and DVDs. They were mostly anime, but some happened to be normal cartoons, all labeled "Human History".

"Whoa," said Yakko, taking out five DVD cases, "she's got all four volumes of us  _ and  _ our movie!"

"She really wasn't joking," said Dot, examining them closely.

"How'd she even get them?" said Wakko.

"They probably fell down the mountain," said Yakko.

"Can't believe she hasn't shown the others," said Dot.

"Either way," said Yakko, "I kinda take it as a complement to be labeled 'Human History'. We're  _ way  _ more interesting than the real deal, but the monsters don't know that."

They put the DVDs back, Wakko grabbing another comic book from the next shelf.

"What does that one say?" said Yakko.

"Two chefs are flinging energy pancakes at each other."

His mouth started to water.

"Looks like it's right up your alley!" said Yakko.

"How about this one?" said Dot, taking a comic book from the last shelf as Wakko put his away. "Yeesh, that android needs a makeover!"

"Is that a piece of toast in his mouth?" said Wakko.

"Looks like he's late for school...now  _ that's  _ accurate!" said Yakko.

They put the book away. Moving on, there was a strange machine with pink goop dripping from it.

"Wonder what that's for," said Wakko.

"Her work table's pretty dusty," said Dot.

She moved her hand across it to get rid of the excessive dust. After that, she examined her wardrobe. It was filled with dirty lab coats and a clean dress.

"She's got mail," said Yakko. "From Froggit, Snowy, Doggo..."

"What do they want from her?" said Wakko.

"No clue," said Yakko.

They were next to a lamp with pink fish on a blue lampshade, but no light bulb. It came off as weird to the Warners.

"Look at this incredible invention!" said Yakko. "This bed seems to fold into an extremely-easy-to-draw box when no one's using it."

"A promo poster for Mettaton's TV premiere?" said Dot, looking at the wall. "Looks like something Papyrus would like."

On the flap, it said "Thank you for making my dreams come true." The Warners could tell it was from Mettaton to Alphys and thought it was sweet of him.

"Well," said Dot, "we've seen everything."

They got back onto the escalator and returned to the first floor; during that trip, they took some time to make their profiles for the social network, which was known as the UnderNet. Yakko was TheYakker14, Wakko was HungryToon11, and Dot was UltimateCutiePie. They also mentioned their celebrity status, despite the fact that Mettaton's TV show already made it known and gave them many followers as a result, including Papyrus, Sans, and Undyne. But one thing they didn't quite know for sure was if the monsters followed them just because Mettaton said they were celebrities or if they suddenly remembered the show as a whole and did it due to being fans. However, the Warners didn't think it was very important at the moment. They put their phones away once they reached the end of Alphys' lab.

"Come on," said Yakko, "time to explore Hotland."

As they left through the door, Alphys updated her status.

*just realized i didn't watch undyne fight the warners. v.v

A few minutes later, she did it again.

*well i know she's unbeatable i'll ask her abt it later ^.^

Only a few seconds later, with the Warners barely in Hotland, she updated yet again.

*for now i gotta call up the toons and guide them =^.^=

They paused for a moment.

"Ok," said Yakko, "I think she stopped."

They continued onward, wondering what the puzzles would be like in Hotland. That and Alphys being nice enough to guide them to Asgore's castle filled them with determination.


	25. Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

Taking a good look at the horizon, the Warners felt Hotland was very futuristic...and hot. Conveyor belts were everywhere; they would become a major component in the puzzles to come.

"Somethin' tells me we won't have to do a lotta walkin' around here," said Yakko.

They stepped on the first conveyor belt, which operated as if it was an escalator. However, they stumbled upon impact.

"Whoa!" said Dot. "Hey, we're goin' kinda fast!"

Suddenly, a Vulkin strolled in, causing an encounter to begin and the conveyor belt to stop moving. It resembled a living volcano and looked like it came from "Adventure Time". Taking a good look at it, the Warners figured it probably mistakenly thought its lava could heal people. Wakko took pity on Vulkin and gave him a hug. It warmed his heart...and his whole body. He jumped back after a few seconds and let out a small whimper. Despite not being hurt enough to lose HP, his defense dropped.

"You ok?" said Yakko.

"Yeah," said Wakko.

"Ahh..." said Vulkin, his eyes becoming hearts. "So...LOVEY!"

He accidentally shot out lightning-bolt shaped heat bullets.

"Waah!"

The Warners ran around, trying not to get hit, but came to a realization that they had to make small movements for it to be possible. Meanwhile, Vulkin's cheeks started glowing with a bright heat. He left behind 40 pieces of gold once the Warners spared him.

"Poor guy," said Dot.

The conveyor belt moved again, causing the Warners to fall down. They rolled onto stable ground.

"Can't believe we didn't nail the landing!" said Yakko.

They got onto their feet and brushed the dust off their clothing.

"Those are pretty big blowtorches," said Dot.

As soon as they started moving again, Alphys posted yet _another_ update.

*gonna call them in a minute! =^.^=

"Just when I thought it was over," said Yakko.

The next conveyor belt went in a zigzag pattern, mixing things up. Upon getting off, they found a bridge made out of white pipes; it led them to the next area of Hotland marked by a twinkling star, returning Wakko's defense to its normal level. The wooshing sound of steam and cogs filled them with determination, but they groaned when Alphys updated again.

*I HATE USING THE PHONE I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS LMAO ^.^

"Jeez," said Dot, "will it ever stop?!"

"This looks new," said Wakko, looking at a platform with an arrow on it. Yakko stepped on it to see if it was safe; a burst of steam came out and caused him to jump to the next platform.

"Yipe! Actually, that wasn't too bad. Come on!"

His siblings followed him. Before they could step onto the next platform, however, Tsunderplane bumped into them! Not on purpose or anything. She seemed mean, but did she secretly like them? Yakko approached Tsunderplane, but didn't get too close.

"Eeeeh? H-humanfolk?"

Several planes dropped bombs from the boundary box, but some were green. Yakko touched the green ones four times, making Tsunderplane blush bright red.

"Ya have nice turbines," said Yakko, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Ah...is that true?"

"Of course!"

She let the Warners spare her, leaving behind 60 pieces of gold. They continued onward, coming across a burnt frying pan. It seemed useful, so Yakko put it in his belt. He did this for the rest of the weapons except for the tough gloves, the torn notebook, and the ballet slippers; those were meant for Wakko and Dot respectively. They reached a dead end, so they returned back the way they came from. Alphys updated again.

*omg ive had my claw over the last digit for 5 minutes

*omg i'm just gonna do it

*i'm just gonna call!

Right then and there, Yakko's cell phone rang. He was about to answer it, but whoever was calling hung up before he could do so.

"I feel bad for her," said Yakko. "She's a nervous wreck!"

When they made it to the next area, there were a few lasers ahead; some were light blue and some were orange. Yakko's phone rang again, so he made sure the caller couldn't hang up this time and successfully answered.

"Hello?" said Yakko, putting it on speakerphone.

"Uhh!" said Alphys. "H-hi, so, the blue lasers...Uhh! I mean, Alphys here! Hi!"

"I knew it! I mean, I saw your updates, so..."

"O-oh, sorry about that."

"It's fine. Just try to calm down a little bit with all that, ok? Anyway, how's my favorite lizard lady doin'?"

"I-I-I'm good. A-about the puzzle i-in front of you, the blue lasers won't hurt you if you don't move! O-orange ones, um...Y-you have to be moving, and they..."

"Don't hurt us?" said Yakko.

"Move through those ones!" she choked out.

"Gotcha. Thanks, Alphys!"

"You're welcome."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"...Uhh, bye!"

"See ya later."

They hung up. Yakko put his phone in his pocket and looked at his sibs.

"Did ya get all that?"

"Yeah," said Dot.

"Good."

They took one step forward, only stopping because of Alphys updating again.

*OMG I DID IT! claws haven't shook like that since undyne called me to ask about the weather... v.v

"That's adorable," said Wakko.

They walked through the first two lasers, but when Alphys updated again, they stopped themselves from passing through the blue one.

*WAIT THERE'S NO WEATHER DOWN HERE WHY DID SHE CALL ME

The Warners laughed at this one.

"Can't believe she just noticed!" said Dot.

"Girls," said Yakko. "They'll do anything to get their crush to notice them."

They walked all the way across the lasers. Conveniently, only the blue ones seemed to move. At the end of the puzzle, there was a switch. Wakko pressed it, causing the lasers to deactivate.

"That was easy."

They continued onward, finding a path that led to their left. Before they could reach it, Alphys updated again.

*Oh My God i Forgot to Tell THem Where To Go

This was followed by a photo of a garbage can with several pink, glittery filters over it.

*CUte PIC OF ME RIGHT NOW ^.^

They pressed their "like" buttons. Yakko commented "LOL XD". Then they continued to see the arrows that shot them into the air, but they rotated in a circle. Alphys called again, this time reaching Wakko's phone.

"Hello?"

"A-A-Alphys here! Th...the northern door will stay locked until you...S-solve the puzzles on the right and left! I...I think you sh-should g-g-go to the right first!"

"Oh...ok!" Wakko enthusiastically responded. "Thanks."

"N-no problem!"

She hung up, letting them go. They went to their right, finding a green cow with sunglasses and a purple business suit and a black flame-like monster.

"How's life for ya?" said Yakko.

"The way to work is blocked, so I had time to catch Mettaton's show on my phone...The special effects were _amazing_ today! Those toon celebrities almost looked REAL!"

The Warners looked at each other in an annoyed way. They let out courtesy chuckles.

"Ehehe...right," said Yakko, turning his attention away from the cow. "So, do _you_ know about Mettaton?"

"Mettaton? Yeah, he's the most popular star in the underground! His fan club probably has at least two...no, THREE dozen members!"

"Oh, really?" said Dot. "Looks like that robot has some competition."

They started to enter the door on their side as Alphys updated again. This time, they checked and walked at the same time.

*wonder if it would be unfun if i explained the puzzle...

They entered the room and saw a cat with a business suit and sunglasses, a shoot 'em up arcade-like machine, and a note with the directions. All they had to do was shoot the opposing ship and move the boxes with the joystick to achieve their goal. But first, they talked to the cat.

"Whatcha doin' over here?" said Dot.

"The door leading through the area is closed? So I tried the puzzle? But it kept running out of ammo, and it kept restarting?"

The cat bounced as he talked.

"Hey," said Yakko, "you're a bouncer, aren't ya?"

They all bounced with the cat.

"Boingy, boingy, boingy, boingy!"

"And my two co-workers won't help?" the cat continued. "It's like they don't even wanna go to work?"

He stopped bouncing and so did they.

"Well," said Wakko, "nice talkin' with ya."

"Step aside," said Yakko to the cat, "we'll show ya how it's done."

They went over to the machine. Dot moved the joystick while Yakko pressed the shoot button.

"Go left!" said Wakko. "No, right! No, left!"

Yakko shot one of the boxes, then Dot moved the remaining one over to the left. Yakko used his final shot to hit the ship on the other side. The screen went green, an "accomplished" sound played, and the text read " **CONGRATULATIONS!** ".

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

They headed out, the cat staring at them with wide eyes. Anyone who saw the three toon kids could tell they felt good about their accomplishment, holding their heads up high. Using the arrow platforms to jump to the other side, they came across something similar to their previous stop. A blue laser blocked the way to another room; a purple bull with a skateboard and a teenage green flame, possibly the daughter of Grillby and wearing what looked a school uniform, waited outside. Before the Warners could figure out how to get across, Alphys called Wakko.

"Hey, Alphys!" Wakko answered.

"Alphys! Here! Th-that blue laser seems totally impassable!"

"Yeah," said Dot, "we don't have our plot holes anymore. It's like they vanished into thin air!"

"That's too bad. B-b-but! As the Royal Scientist, I h-have some tricks up my sleeve! I'll h-hack into th-the Hotland laser database and take it out!"

"Thanks," said Yakko. "You're a real help."

Alphys hung up and deactivated the laser, just as she said she would. This gave Yakko and Wakko some time to actually check out the flame girl. They panted like dogs.

"Helloooooooo nurse!"

They tied to jump for it, but Dot held them back by their tails.

"Boys."

Meanwhile, the flame girl seemed to talk to herself.

"Finally! Someone turned off that laser! Now that we're free we can...Well, uh, I guess we'll just keep standing here."

The bull approached the toons.

"We were just hanging out when suddenly, a buncha puzzles reactivated outta nowhere."

"Sounds pretty suspicious," said Yakko.

"This is a huge problem...It rules! They've GOTTA cancel school over this!"

"Now _that's_ how to react in this kinda situation!" said Dot.

The Warners went inside the room. It was completely empty and the puzzle seemed more complicated.

"Looks like a game of Tetris," said Yakko, taking control of the joystick.

Dot gave out directions while Wakko pressed the button to shoot.

"Move down...right...shoot!"

Wakko shot one of the boxes.

"Go up. Now left! Wait, no, right!"

They kept shuffling until the blocks were out of the way. Wakko's bullet made it to the other side, getting the same reaction from last time.

"Boom," said Yakko.

They left triumphantly and bounced their way to the locked door. It ceremoniously opened.

"Let's keep venturing into the unknown, shall we?" said Yakko.

"We shall!" said Dot.

The three of them held hands and continued onward, only to be stopped briefly by Alphys updating her status.

*whatever! i'll just explain it!

"Yeesh," said Yakko. "Will she ever shut up?"

"She needs to see a p-sychiatrist," said Wakko.

Just then and there, Dot's phone rang.

"Y'ello?" she said, slightly annoyed.

"Uuuh, I think...Umm...Hey! About the puzzles-"

"Alphys, for crying out loud! We already solved 'em!"

The other line went silent for a moment.

"O-oh...sorry for bothering you..."

"It's fine. Just try to give us some space, okay? I get ya wanna help us, but it's overkill. Ya don't need to worry about thing, so take a chill pill and relax for a bit."

This made Alphys feel better.

"Okay. Thanks, Dot."

She hung up. The Warners continued onward, stepping on an arrow that launched them into the air onto another arrow and onto another arrow.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

They landed on a different ground; it was light blue with green circles.

"For a moment I thought we were flying!" said Wakko.

They headed into darkness. None of them could imagine what was coming next...or could they?


	26. Food, Glorious Food

Surrounded by darkness, the Warners didn't quite know what to expect.

"That's weird," said Yakko, "it's dark but not  _ ominously _ dark..."

"Where are we anyway?" said Dot.

Just then, Wakko's phone rang.

"Hi Alphys!"

"H-hey Wakko," she stuttered. "Sorry to bother you, but it's kind of dark in there, isn't it?"

"Yeah, we can't see anything down here!"

"Don't worry! I'll hack into the light system and brighten it up!"

Once the lights turned on, the trio found themselves in a kitchen. It almost looked like Toriel's but with more color.

"That's better," said Wakko.

"Oh no," said Alphys, knowing what was happening as Mettaton crept up next to the Warners from underneath the countertop. This time, he wore a chef's hat.

" **OHHHH YES!** "

"Mettaton!" they all cheered.

"Good to see ya again ol' pal!" said Yakko.

" **THE FEELING'S MUTUAL, DARLING. WELCOME, BEAUTIES, TO THE UNDERGROUND'S PREMIER COOKING SHOW!** "

A fancy title written in pink cursive appeared over their heads. It said "Cooking with a Killer Robot"

"This is pretty high-class!" said Dot. "I'm guessin' ya guys have a big budget?"

" **ABSOLUTELY, CUTIE. PRE-HEAT YOUR OVENS, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOU TODAY! WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING...** "

The Warners rapidly patted their hands on their legs, imitating a drumroll.

" **A CAKE!** "

"Alright!" said Dot.

"Perfect timing!" said Yakko. "I'm in the mood for a sweet treat."

" **MY LOVELY ASSISTANTS HERE WILL GATHER THE INGREDIENTS. EVERYONE GIVE THEM A BIG HAND!** "

They bowed as the audience clapped and confetti dropped from the ceiling.

"Thank ya," said Yakko, "thank ya, what a great audience!"

" **WE'LL NEED SUGAR, MILK, AND EGGS. GO FOR IT, SWEETHEARTS! AND MAKE SURE WAKKO DOESN'T EAT THEM.** "

"One step ahead of ya, bud."

Yakko was holding Wakko's tail to stop him from running off. As they walked to the other countertop with Dot, Yakko grabbed the milk and put it on Wakko's head, then grabbed the sugar. Dot took the eggs, making sure they didn't fall on the floor and crack. They brought them to the table.

"There," said Dot, "all done!"

" **PERFECT! GREAT JOB, BEAUTIES! WE'VE GOT ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS WE NEED TO BAKE THE CAKE! MILK...SUGAR...EGGS...OH MY! WAIT A MAGNIFICENT MOMENT! HOW COULD I FORGET!** "

"Here it comes..." said Wakko.

"What's the catch?" said Yakko.

" **CATCH? THERE'S NO CATCH, KIDS! WE'RE JUST MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT...A SURFACE DWELLER'S SOUL!** "

He pulled out a chainsaw and revved it, slowly approaching the toons as his screen kept changing between yellow and red.

"You're not taking us down that easily, Mettaton!" said Dot.

The Warners pulled out their mallets, planning to use them as shields in case Mettaton actually attacked them right then and there. But the one thing that stopped a fight from breaking out was his phone ringing.

" **HELLO...? I'M KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE.** "

"W-wait a second!" Alphys choked out. "Couldn't you make a...Couldn't you use a...Couldn't you make a substitution in the recipe?!"

" **...A SUBSTITUTION? YOU MEAN, USE A DIFFERENT, NON-SURFACE DWELLER INGREDIENT? ...WHY?** "

"C'mon Alphys," said Wakko, "you can do it!"

"Uhh, what if someone's...Vegan?"

The toons cheered for her.

"Good answer!"

"Yeah, good answer!"

"Ooh, that's a good one!"

" **...VEGAN.** "

"Uh well I mean-"

" **THAT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA, ALPHYS! ACTUALLY, I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OPTION RIGHT HERE!** "

"I guess he was ready to lose if Alphys didn't call," Yakko teased.

" **MTT-BRAND ALWAYS-CONVENIENT HUMANFOLK-SOUL-FLAVOR-SUBSTITUTE!** "

"What a mouthful," said Dot.

" **A CAN OF WHICH...IS JUST OVER ON THAT COUNTER!** "

He pointed to the side, where a small mahogany countertop interfered with the bright blue and yellow floor. On it was a small red can.

" **WELL, DARLINGS? WHY DON'T YOU GO GET IT?** "

"Don't mind if we do," said Yakko.

They bounced and tumbled to the countertop, tripping over each other at some point but still having fun.

"Boingy, boingy, boingy, boingy!"

" **LOOK AT THEM GO! I ADORE THEIR PIZAZZ.** "

Suddenly, the countertop shot up like a rocket so far up it was impossible for them to reach on their own.

" **BY THE WAY, OUR SHOW RUNS ON A STRICT SCHEDULE. IF YOU CAN'T GET THE CAN IN THE NEXT ONE MINUTE...WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN! SO...BETTER START CLIMBING, BEAUTIES!** "

"Joke's on you," said Yakko, "my brother's the one with a gag bag!"

Wakko briefly dug into it for a few seconds, then pulled out a shiny yellow jetpack.

"This should do it!"

Yakko took the jetpack and put it on his back.

"Hold on tight, sibs!"

Dot held onto Wakko, who held onto Yakko. They soared as the timer started. Mettaton floated right above them, as if to taunt them. He took the container of eggs and scattered them all around the aerial battlefield in an attempt to slow them down. Yakko expertly dodged, needing to zigzag his way through. Dot almost lost her grip, but she managed to recompose herself. Mettaton's next attempt involved throwing flour in their faces. Yakko was hit once, then found a gap to escape through, and was hit again. His face was covered in flour and his chest had a few white spots.

"Hey," he chuckled, "that's cheating!"

He could have sworn he heard Mettaton chuckling back as he poured the milk on them. It wasn't very challenging, so he went back to pelting them with eggs.

"Keep it comin'!" Wakko shouted, gobbling up all the ingredients when they fell close to him.

Eventually, Mettaton's arms retracted into his rectangular body and the Warners reached the top.

" **MY MY. IT SEEMS YOU'VE BESTED ME.** "

"Heck yeah!" Dot cheered.

" **AND YOU ONLY NEEDED THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS TO HELP YOU ONCE. I'M IMPRESSED! OH, BUT I'M CURIOUS OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SHE DIDN'T INTERVENE!** "

"We still would have won," said Yakko. "I mean, so far nobody's taken us down!"

" **THAT WILL MAKE IT ALL THE MORE SPECIAL ONCE I EVENTUALLY BEAT YOU. WELL, TOODLES!** "

He started to leave, but came back as if he forgot something.

" **OH YES! ABOUT THE SUBSTITUTION...HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN A COOKING SHOW BEFORE? I ALREADY BAKED THE CAKE AHEAD OF TIME! SO FORGET IT!** "

The cameras seemed to have turned off as he floated away, but the Warners weren't done with him.

"Mettaton, wait!"

Yakko flew after him, grabbing his attention.

" **MAKE IT QUICK, YAKKO. I'M ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE.** "

"Just wanted to say we're havin' a lotta fun here; it's been a long time since we've been on camera!"

"And we gotta say," said Dot, "you're awesome! When you're not too busy, feel free to give us a ring and hang out sometime."

" **THANKS, TOONS. UNTIL NEXT TIME, LOVELIES!** "

He waved at them, then flew away. The kids took a picture of Mettaton with their phones, then floated back down to the ground as Wakko and Dot released their grips.

"Ugh, my arms are killing me!" she shouted.

"Hey," Yakko responded, "at least ya don't have a face full of flour!"

Yakko brushed the flour off himself, then received a call from Alphys.

"Hey Alphys."

"Wow! You... you did it! You really did it! And you barely needed my help. Great job out there, team!"

Yakko chuckled.

"Thanks."

"W-well, uh, anyway, let's keep heading forward!"

She hung up.

"Yeah," said Dot, "there's still a lot to do in Hotland!"

They posted their photos on the Undernet, then skipped off as another yellow star greeted them. An ominous structure loomed in the distance, sparking their curiosity and filling them with determination.

"I wonder what that could be?" said Wakko.

Just then and there, Alphys texted them, remembering Dot's irritation.

*see that building in the distance? That's the CORE, source of all power for the underground.

*it converts geothermal energy into magical electricity, by...uh anyway that's where you're going.

"Thanks for savin' us the science spiel," said Dot.

Wakko texted Alphys back.

*Faboo!

Alphys sent another text.

*in the CORE is an elevator directly to ASGORE's castle. From there, you can go home.

Yakko chuckled at the words in all capitals.

"It's like she's shouting every other word."

He texted back.

*Who, me and my sibs? Nah, we're taking all ya guys with us! We're not leavin' until we find a way to break the barrier!

Alphys texted again.

*that's a nice thought. But don't feel bad when you can't.

Dot responded this time.

*IF we can't. Nothing's impossible with us around.

No response from Alphys. They stopped in their tracks, finding the R1 elevator.

"Only one way to go from here," said Yakko.

They stepped inside and were given two options: L1 or R2.

"Make that two!" said Wakko.

"L1's only gonna take us back to Alphys' lab," said Dot. "Let's take R2."

She pushed the button, taking them up. Once the door opened, they were greeted by a small flame person.

"Heh. I'm Heats Flamesman. Remember my name!"

"Sure thing," said Yakko.

Nothing too exciting. As they walked away, they found a hot dog stand occupied by none other than Sans.

"Sans!" they cheered.

"hey kids," Sans greeted. "what's up?"

"Just came back from Mettaton's show," said Yakko. "You?"

"sellin' hot dogs. wanna buy one? it's only 30G."

"Sure," said Wakko, "Mettaton's cooking show made me hungry!"

"When are you NOT hungry?" said Dot.

"We got lots of money to blow anyway," said Yakko.

He handed Sans the money.

"thanks, guys. here's your 'dog. yeah. 'dog. apostrophe-dog. it's short for-"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it!" said Dot.

Sans chuckled at her reaction. Yakko and Dot took a bite out of their hot dogs, but Wakko ate his whole.

"Mmm that's good!" said Wakko.

"thanks."

"Ya know," said Yakko, "we saw ya earlier when Undyne was chasing us. Ya fell asleep on the job."

"eh, not really. i was just faking."

"Why didn't ya help us?" said Dot.

"i knew you could take her down on your own. didn't need me at all."

"Well ya  _ did _ slow her down a bit," said Wakko. "She stopped to wake you up."

Sans shrugged.

"Hey," said Yakko, "got any ketchup? Or mustard?"

"nope, fresh out."

"Aw man."

He finished the last bite of his dog.

"but i got more 'dogs. guess i'll put one on your head."

Yakko balanced it just fine.

"Heh, not bad! But I want a better challenge."

Sans put another one on Yakko's head.

"here, it's on the house. well, no. it's on you."

"Gimme more!"

Sans put eight more on his head.

"more h'dogs. have fun."

"How many can ya go to?" said Dot.

"well, i'll be 'frank' with ya, i'd stop at thirty but your brother's too tall for me to reach."

"Oh well," said Yakko.

He walked around, trying to balance the hot dogs on his head. He had a steady start, until he wobbled a little.

"Whoa..."

"Don't flail!" said Dot.

"Come on," said Wakko, "just a little more!"

Yakko then tripped over himself, causing all the hot dogs to fall as he landed flat on his face. Luckily, they didn't go to waste. Wakko ate every single one of them before they hit the ground. It still caused a commotion to everyone around them; even Sans seemed a little more excited this time around.

"Aw..." Dot muttered.

"i gotta admit, you lasted longer than i thought you would."

"Here," said Dot, paying him for the extra hot dogs. "Thought I'd keep ya in business for a little longer."

She winked at him.

"thanks kiddo. want a hot cat?"

"Sure! Too bad ya don't have any CATchup for that!"

Sans laughed.

"good one, dot."

The hot cat was just a hot dog shaped like a cat, but it still tasted good.

"Anyway," said Yakko, "we better get goin'. That barrier ain't gonna break itself. See ya later!"

"bye."

They left as Alphys posted a picture.

"You two check it," said Yakko, "I'm gonna look at updates for our post."

*dinner with the girlfriend ;)

"All she posted was a picture of a catgirl action figure next to one of those instant noodles thingies," said Dot.

"What does it say on our posts?" said Wakko.

"All of us got likes, Dot got a comment from Papyrus-"

"WHAT DID HE SAY?"

"Look for yourself."

Papyrus' comment talked about how surprised he was to see them hanging out with Mettaton and he would cheer for them next time they were on.

"He called him a sexy rectangle..." Dot muttered with clenched teeth.

"Don't be jealous," said Yakko, "you find a LOT of guys sexy. I've got a list of sexy nurses too."

"Don't brag about it," said Dot.

Despite her annoyance at Yakko, she found it reassuring and responded to Papyrus' comment with a smiling blushing emoji and a sparkling pink heart. Just then, Papyrus posted a picture on Alphys' thread.

*ARE WE POSTING HOT "PICS?" HERE IS ME AND MY COOL FRIEND

It was just him flexing in front of a mirror. He wore sunglasses and giant muscular biceps were pasted onto his arms, also wearing sunglasses.

"Hellooooooooo skele-nurses!" Dot shouted.

She sighed as her eyes turned into hearts.

"So dreamy~"

"That's more like it!" said Wakko.

Alphys responded to Papyrus.

*LOL, CoolSkeleton95! ...that's a joke, right?

"Oh crap," said Yakko as Dot seemed mad and protective after that response, "Alphys is gonna have Dot goin' after her head!"

Papyrus responded again.

*THE ONLY JOKE HERE, IS HOW STRONG MY MUSCLES ARE.

Dot typed back.

*Don't listen to her, Papy. You and your cool friend look great!

She ended it with an emoji blowing a kiss.

"Classic Papyrus. Nothing can offend him!"

Just then, Pyrope bounded towards them.

"Heh," said Yakko, "it's a living torch. Let's turn up the heat!"

They cranked up the thermostat. Pyrope got excited.

"Hot! HOT! Hotter! HOTTER!"

The sides of the boundary box wiggled and so did the Warners' souls.

"Huh," said Wakko, "this is interesting..."

Bombs were dropped in the boundary box. As soon as they touched the walls, they exploded with a loud "BOM".

"Watch your step!" Dot shouted.

The first explosion was in the back right corner, the second was right in the middle of the back left wall, and the last was in the very back; Wakko was caught in it and lost 2 HP.

"Want some more, bud?" Yakko asked.

"Yes please!"

The room became super hot as they cranked up the thermostat even more. The kids even broke a sweat! But at least it satisfied Pyrope. The boundary box wiggled a little more as the attack changed. This time, there were moving poles with three orange fireballs in between.

"Guess we gotta run into the flames!" said Dot.

They dashed through them. After passing through the fifth one, they spared Pyrope, allowing them to escape the sweltering confinement. They were given 20 pieces of gold and carried on. As they turned to their left to explore the ledge, they spotted an apron with a heart.

"I'll take it!" said Wakko, stuffing it under his hat alongside his other gear.

As they went back on the regular path, they all received a friend request from Napstablook22.

"Hey," said Wakko, "it's our ghost friend!"

"He's gettin' an absolute yes from us!" said Yakko.

But as they accepted the request, it seemed to have already rejected itself...

"Who hurt him?" said Dot.

Knowing that someday Napstablook would restore his confidence filled them with determination.


	27. Unscripted Moments

In the next room, the Warners found two conveyor belts going opposite directions and three pole switches. On the other platform, a blue line of electricity blocked the rest of the path.

"This looks fairly easy," said Dot, "we just gotta get the timing right."

Alphys sent another group text.

*you'll have to press all three of them within 3 seconds. I can try to help you with the rhythm!

Wakko texted back.

*Thx Alphys!

A follow-up text from the scientist was sent mere seconds later.

*you don't mind about me texting, right?

Dot sent back a reassuring text.

*Nah, it's better than the calls. No offense.

*None taken.

The Warners stepped on the conveyor belt where the switches were.

"Whoa!" said Yakko. "Almost forgot how fast these things go!"

He pressed the first two switches, Wakko and Dot cheering him on while doing so.

"One! Two!"

As he was about to press the third one, Alphys sent another group text, distracting them.

*ok now press the third one!

They were already on the other side of the platform. Dot saw this as a good opportunity to take advantage of this fanfic's T rating.

"GodDAMNIT ALPHYS!" she shouted.

"Hey," said Yakko, "at least this puzzle's not too complicated. We can try it again, but this time we'll ignore any messages."

"Actually we don't need to!" said Wakko.

He pointed at where the electric shockwave should have been; it magically disappeared. This was followed by another text from Alphys.

*hey looks like you only needed to press two of them rofl

"Aw," said Yakko, "she felt bad."

Alphys updated her status.

*that's the last time i try to help with a puzzle lmao

This was followed by yet another group text.

*going to the bathroom, will be MIA for a bit.

"Somethin' tells me this is gonna help her more than it helps us," said Dot.

In the next room, they found a much more complex puzzle. It consisted of many tiny platforms with the steaming arrows from before and white squares with red dots. Wakko stepped on the square, causing the arrows to change direction.

"Oh, I get it now!"

"Now  _ that's _ a good challenge!" said Yakko.

They all stepped on the arrow, taking them to the next platform. The arrows on it changed from right and up to left and down.

"Now we come to the question," said Dot, "do we go down or left?"

"Let's try down," said Yakko.

They hopped to the next platform, which had arrows pointing down and up. They took the down arrow, and landed on another platform with all four arrows.

"NOW let's go left," said Wakko.

The platform on the left was the same as the previous one. They went upwards next, changing the arrow to the platform above.

"One more oughta do it!" said Dot.

But as they jumped to that platform, the arrow was pointed in the wrong direction.

"Oops," said Wakko.

"Oh hang on," said Yakko after examining the puzzle again, "I think I got this."

Wakko and Dot followed their older brother's lead. He went back to the middle platform, then down twice, then up again, then they took their previous route to the last platform. That time, the arrow was facing left, meaning they solved the puzzle.

"Good job!" said Dot.

"Thanks, sister sib."

They jumped to the other side and carried on. Alphys updated her status again.

*OMG ppl think Mew Mew 2 is better than Mew Mew 1? LOLLLLL that's a joke right…

"Hey," said Wakko, "isn't that the anime she really likes?"

"I think so," said Dot, "that was what gave her away the first time we were on Mettaton's show."

They found a mouse hole, a twinkling star, and a table with a safe on it.

"Jeez," said Yakko, "what is it with mice and not getting the cheese down here?"

Knowing the mouse might one day hack the computerized safe and get the cheese filled them with determination. Meanwhile, Alphys updated her status again.

*omg...DONT THEY GET IT RUINS Mew Mew's ENTIRE CHARACTER ARC

*My Mew Mew 2 Review:

*Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 Is Neither Kissy Nor Cutie.

*Its Trash. 0 stars

They laughed.

"I didn't know she had it in her!" said Dot.

"That's what happens when you're a diehard fan," said Yakko.

They were interrupted and stopped in their tracks when a voice called out.

"Hey! You! Stop!"

The two guards blocking the way near Alphys' house approached.

"Haven't we seen ya before?" said Wakko.

"Like, I think so?" said the first guard.

"Yeah," said Dot, "ya turned us away earlier."

"Oh, like yeah! I remember that. Anyway, we've, like, received an anonymous tip about three cartoon characters looking like a rabbit, dog, and cat. They told us they were wandering around Hotland right now..."

"That sounds scary," said Yakko. "I mean, they could be anyone!"

"I know, huh? They're really hard to track down. But just stay still, we'll bring you someplace safe, OK?"

"Sounds fine with us!" said Dot.

They followed the knights back the other way, happy to know they duped them. But this didn't last long, for after five seconds they stopped in their tracks as the second knight mumbled.

"...Huh? What is it, bro?"

More mumbling.

"They look like a rabbit, dog, and cat? Like, what about it?"

"Hey," said Yakko, "like we said, they could be anyone! How can ya tell if we're lying?"

They made innocent poses as the guards turned around to examine them more closely.

"Bro...Are you thinkin...What I'm thinkin? Bummer. This is, like...Mega embarrassing. We, like, actually totally have to kill you and stuff."

"Well," said Dot, "it was nice while it lasted."

As the boundary box surrounded them, Dot noticed the second guard's armor was rather dirty, so she took out a handkerchief and wiped away the cooling dirt.

"Hey, if ya wanna be a better guard, ya gotta have clean armor."

"...getting...warmer," he muttered.

"Like, prepare to die, right?" said the first guard.

The boundary box stretched to be much wider, taking a rectangular shape. Yakko and Wakko dodged the projectiles consisting of stars flying up and down the box, but spotted a green symbol shaped like the guards' armor.

"Come on Wakko, we gotta get that!"

They leaped for it. Yakko winced as one of the stars hit his leg, taking away 3 of his HP, but both of them landed on the symbol nonetheless.

"...can't...take it," the second guard whispered. "...armor...too...HOT!"

He ripped it off, revealing his large muscles.

"...much better."

"Whoa," said Dot, "he's RIPPED!"

The first guard said nothing, but seemed nervous and started to heavily sweat.

"Gross," said Yakko, taking a few steps back.

Wakko approached the guard and quickly patted his back, then wiped the sweat off his hand.

"Ya have to be honest with your feelings."

This made him even more nervous.

"I...I..."

"...heh," the other guard responded.

The first guard attacked; the stars were mangled into spring-type projectiles. But whenever they got close to the kids, they avoided their souls.

"Wait," said Dot, "what's going on?"

"It's like what Goat Mom did..." said Wakko, missing Toriel.

"D-dude..." the first guard choked out. "I can't...I can't take this anymore! Not like this!"

"...what the heck?" said Yakko.

"Like, 02! I like...I like, LIKE you, bro! The way you fight...the way you talk...I love doing team attacks with you. I love standing here with you, bouncing and waving our weapons in sync...02...I, like, want to stay like this forever…"

"That escalated quickly," said Wakko.

02 didn't respond. An awkward silence filled the space around them.

"Uh...I mean, uh...Psych! Gotcha, bro! Haha!

"...01."

"Y-yeah, bro?"

"...do you want to...get some ice cream...after this?"

"Sure, dude! Haha!"

They looked at each other happily, allowing the Warner's to spare them. Before the guards left, 01 handed 100 pieces of gold to the speechless toons.

"Gotta admit," said Yakko, "that was kinda sweet. We did a good thing today."

As they continued making their way through Hotland, Alphys updated her status.

*oopswait how's the humanfolk doing

*Top 10 Shows That Make You Forget To Do Your Frickin Job

"At least she's giving us some space," said Dot.

Soon, the place grew dark again. Excited smiles appeared on Yakko, Wakko, and Dot's faces.

"Ya know what that means!" said Yakko.

"Mettaton!" they all shouted.

The lights turned on again, revealing them to be on a TV screen as the killer robot sat by a desk labeled "MTT" in an unknown room. He was also wearing a new outfit: red tuxedo with a yellow necktie. Alphys texted the kids.

*Are you serious?

" **OHHHHHH YESSS!** "

The Warners laughed, half because of Alphys' reaction and half because they knew they were in for another fun challenge.

" **GOOD EVENING, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES! THIS IS METTATON, REPORTING LIVE FROM MTT NEWS!** "

As he went on with his report, the Warners distracted the audience by making silly faces. Wakko made a gookie, followed by Yakko winking and wiggling his ears, then Dot pulled on her cheeks, stretching her face.

" **AN INTERESTING SITUATION HAS ARISEN IN EASTERN HOTLAND! FORTUNATELY, OUR CORRESPONDENTS ARE OUT THERE, REPORTING LIVE!** "

He seemed slightly irritated at the Warners potentially distracting his audience, but nonetheless covered it up.

" **BRAVE AND EXTREMELY PLAYFUL CORRESPONDENTS, PLEASE FIND SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY TO REPORT! OUR TEN WONDERFUL VIEWERS ARE WAITING FOR YOU!** "

"Will do, Mettaton!" said Dot.

They walked around the rest of the platform.

"Let's see...oh, this basketball looks familiar!"

" **BASKETBALL'S A BLAST, ISN'T IT, DARLING? TOO BAD YOU CAN'T PLAY WITH THESE BALLS.** "

"GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY!" Yakko shouted while waving at the camera.

" **OH MY, I SEE YOU STILL HAVE A DIRTY MIND~** "

"I lost my innocence a long time ago."

" **ANYWAY, THEY'RE MTT-BRAND FASHION BASKETBALLS. FOR WEARING, NOT PLAYING. YOU CAN'T GET RICH AND FAMOUS LIKE MOI WITHOUT BEAUTIFYING A FEW ORBS.** "

" _ Now _ I know where I saw it," said Dot, "Papyrus wore them on our date!"

"Wait sibs," said Yakko, "I think  _ this  _ one blows it outta the park!"

He pointed to Annoying Dog.

"This little guy's the one that took the artifact from us!"

"AND Papyrus' attacks," Dot added.

" **WHAT A SENSATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR A STORY! I CAN SEE THE HEADLINE NOW: 'A DOG EXISTS SOMEWHERE.' FRANKLY, I'M BLOWN AWAY.** "

" _ That's _ the kinda news we need to see more often," said Wakko.

" **OH, BUT WAIT! WHAT COULD THAT BOX NEXT TO THE DOG POSSIBLY BE?** "

They walked over to a white box neatly wrapped with a red ribbon.

"Hey," said Wakko, "it's a present!"

" **OH MY! AND IT'S ADDRESSED TO YOU, DARLINGS! AREN'T YOU JUST BURSTING WITH EXCITEMENT?** "

"Totally!" said Yakko.

"Ya didn't have to treat us special," said Dot, extending her arm out in a modest fashion.

" **OH, BUT I INSIST!** **WHAT COULD BE INSIDE? WELL, NO TIME LIKE THE 'PRESENT' TO FIND OUT!** "

" _ Now  _ we got our story!" said Yakko.

" **ATTENTION, VIEWERS! OUR CORRESPONDENTS HAVE FOUND...A PRESENT! AND IT'S TIME FOR THE UNBOXING VIDEO!** "

"Woo!" Wakko cheered.

"Alright!" Dot yelled.

"I've been waiting my whole life for this," said Yakko.

" **LET'S FIND OUT WHAT'S INSIDE!** "

The Warners quickly tore the box open...only to reveal a bomb. Their smiles faded to looks of disbelief; how could they have fallen for the easiest trick in the book?

" **THAT ROUND, BLACK SHAPE...COULD IT BE? LOOKS LIKE CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY THIS YEAR. IF SANTA GAVE PEOPLE BOMBS INSTEAD OF PRESENTS!** "

"How thoughtful of ya," Dot deadpanned.

"Ya even decided to light it for us…" Yakko trailed off.

" **DON'T GET TOO EXCITED! YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE REST OF THE ROOM YET!** "

They gasped as the rest of the objects turned into bombs. Mettaton flew out to their location as his room fell apart.

" **IT SEEMS EVERYTHING IN THIS AREA IS ACTUALLY A BOMB!** **THAT DOG'S A BOMB! THAT BASKETBALL'S A BOMB! EVEN MY WORDS ARE…!** "

They fell right out of the text box and landed on the floor, exploding on impact. The toons jumped back.

"Whoa!"

"I gotta say," Yakko remarked, "this makes it a LOT less embarrassing."

"Not bad for a not-cartoon guy," said Dot.

" **THANK YOU, MY BRAVE CORRESPONDENTS...NOW, IF YOU DON'T DEFUSE ALL OF THE BOMBS…** "

He flew to another platform over them, where a large pink bomb reminiscent of a fusion between a cherry and a pokeball started counting down.

" **THIS BIG BOMB WILL BLOW YOU TO SMITHEREENS IN TWO MINUTES! THEN YOU WON'T BE REPORTING 'LIVE' ANY LONGER!** "

"I hate to burst your bubble," said Yakko, "but this whole setup's not too deadly for toons like us."

" **THAT DOESN'T MATTER FOR NOW, BECAUSE OUR NINE VIEWERS ARE GOING TO LOVE WATCHING THIS!** **GOOD LUCK, DARLINGS!** "

"Thanks!" Dot shouted back. "I'll give him credit, this kinda sounds like fun."

Just then, Alphys sent them two quick texts.

*check your phones i installed a bomb defusing program on them

*use the defuse option when they're in the green zone

"Okay," said Yakko, "this is pretty suspicious. How would she even know we'd need this?"

"Don't got time to ask," said Wakko. "Come on!"

They ran to Annoying Dog, who fell asleep on his back. They pulled out their phones, opened the app, and aimed them in front of the small puppy like guns. An icon representing the puppy floated back and forth across their screens, passing a large green rectangle labeled "defuse zone". It would glow yellow once it was in.

"Ready, sibs?" Yakko asked.

"Ready!" Wakko and Dot responded.

The time limit coupled with the quickly-paced background music provided enough excitement to trigger an adrenaline rush for them.

"And…now!"

They pushed their defuse buttons, defusing the Annoying Dog bomb.

"Basketball next!" said Dot.

They ran to where the large bomb was as the basketball bounced out of control.

"This one's a lot quicker," said Wakko.

"Here it comes," said Dot, "go go go!"

They pushed the button just in time.

"I see a game down there!" said Yakko.

They ran down, passing by an orange laser then freezing as a blue one passed over them. Running through another orange laser, they reached the game. It moved across the rectangle, then paused for three seconds, then passed by again.

"3, 2, 1, now!" Wakko counted down.

They defused it.

"Man," said Yakko, "we're on a roll today!"

They ran to the other side, finding the script bomb on a conveyor belt.

"Quick," said Dot, "get that script!"

They leapt onto it, then found another pattern. Instead of going fully across, it zigzagged once then crossed over.

"There," said Yakko, "it's comin' right for us!"

They defused it right before it could leave the box.

"Present time!" Wakko shouted.

This time, the bomb seemed to defy logic. It went upwards, then appeared behind the Warners and flew back up.

"I'm impressed," said Yakko.

They pressed their buttons once it came back around a third time.

"Ha," said Dot, "got it!"

"But how are we gonna get the glass of water?"

They had thirty seconds left to catch the last bomb, which seemed to go haywire and fly all over. Just then, Alphys texted them.

*head for the center i'm using em fields to trap it there

They stepped on the arrow taking them to the left, then ran downwards and found the extremely agile glass of water. It was just like the previous bomb but sidescrolling instead. They defused it with only 10 seconds to spare. They flopped on the floor, sweating from all that running.

"Barely made it!" Yakko panted.

Mettaton flew back to them.

" **WELL DONE, DARLINGS! YOU'VE DEACTIVATED ALL OF THE BOMBS! IF YOU DIDN'T DEACTIVATE THEM, THE BIG BOMB WOULD HAVE EXPLODED IN TWO MINUTES. NOW IT WON'T EXPLODE IN TWO MINUTES! INSTEAD IT'LL EXPLODE IN TWO SECONDS! GOODBYE, DARLINGS!** "

Dot turned her head to look at Mettaton.

"Wait wha-"

The bomb exploded, covering the whole area in black dust. However, it didn't kill the Warners; they emerged from under a pile of soot, coughing. They looked at the camera for a few seconds, then they shook off the soot.

"Told ya so~" Yakko teased, crossing his arms as he smugly smiled at Mettaton.

Mettaton, however, was genuinely stunned. Compared to when Alphys interrupted, it seemed as if that event wasn't supposed to happen.

" **...CURSES! I'VE BEEN FOILED BY TOON LOGIC! CURSE YOU, YAKKO, WAKKO, AND DOT! BUT DON'T THINK YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THIS FAR WITHOUT DR. ALPHYS' HELP!** **SHE HAS BEEN HELPING YOU AN AWFUL LOT.** "

"Hey," said Dot, "Alphys might be helping us but it's not like we're  _ depending on her _ or anything!"

" **THAT MAY BE TRUE. YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS TRUE? I DON'T CURSE MY EIGHT WONDERFUL VIEWERS FOR TUNING IN!** **UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS.** "

He flew away, not giving them enough time to say goodbye.

"Oh boy," said Yakko, "we lost two viewers this time."

Alphys called him.

"What's up, Alphys?"

"Guys, I'm so sorry! I-I-I was supposed to change- I mean fix- I mean deactivate the b-bomb!"

"Hey," said Yakko, "it's okay. Ya shoulda seen Mettaton's face though, it was hilarious!"

"B-b-but what if that bomb actually killed you?"

"It wasn't serious," Dot remarked. "We can tell about these kinda things."

Alphys was silent for a moment; it soon dawned on the Warners that maybe Alphys wasn't truly helping them. But they decided not to interrogate her about it as she spoke up again.

"H-hey, I know I was kind of weird at first...But I really think I'm getting more...uh, m-more confident about guiding you! I know y-you said you wanted your personal space, so now I'm only h-h-helping when it looks like you need it."

"Well," said Yakko, "at least your heart's in the right place."

"Yeah, I guess. S-so don't worry about that b-big d-dumb robot…I can protect you from him! I-I mean if he's a-a little too out of c-control."

"I doubt that's gonna happen," said Dot. "He's been harmless so far."

"W-well I don't know what he'll do next, but still, be careful. I-I-I can tell he's...planning something big for his g-grand finale, and I think you might not be able to h-handle it on your own. I mean it this time."

The Warners looked at each other. They didn't know if they could believe Alphys considering everything that happened up to this point and their new epiphany about the lizard scientist, but they would also remain alert in case Mettaton actually  _ did  _ malfunction and put more emphasis on the killing than the entertaining.

"We'll keep our guards up," said Wakko. "Thanks Alphys!"

"No problem! A-and if it really c-came down to it, we could just t-turn...Um, nevermind. Later!"

She hung up before they could respond.

"Well," said Dot, "looks like she's in cahoots with Mettaton. This is getting a lot more interesting…"

"At least we're making her feel important," said Wakko.

"AND we're spicing things up on Mettaton's show," said Yakko.

Knowing they were making everyone including themselves happy filled them with determination.


	28. Doubling the Danger

The reflection of the lava onto the Core made the machinery shine brightly.

"I gotta admit," said Yakko, "that's kinda intimidating."

Alphys texted them.

*are you worried about meeting Asgore?

Wakko texted back.

*Not really, he sounds nice from what we've heard!

Alphys responded.

*he really is. Im sure you can talk to him and you can pass through the barrier with your souls! Or if youre that serious abt freeing everyone you can convince him not to kill you. So no worrying, ok? Just keep smiling and forget about it.

Dot texted back.

*Whatever you say, Alphys.

They arrived at another elevator and entered.

"Let's do L3 this time!" said Wakko, pressing the button.

The elevator shook as they were being taken to the next floor. Compared to the rest of Hotland, it looked very different. They were in a black room covered with red spinning gears and the floor was painted red-purple.

"Just what we needed," said Yakko, "a change in scenery!"

A purple-skinned spider girl with black hair in double pigtails stood by a table covered with checkerboarded cloth.

"Welcome to our parlor, dearie~"

"Thanks!" said Wakko.

"Interested in some spider pastries? ALL proceeds go to real spiders~"

Wakko's mouth watered.

"No thanks," said Dot, "we just had hotdogs an hour ago."

"If you change your mind, check out the webs to make a purchase~"

The toons walked away, then saw a green cat about to have a breakdown as he stared at the donut in his hand.

"Hey," said Yakko, "you ok?"

"I...I...I ended up buying a donut...I...I...I didn't want to, but that girl...even though I told her no, she...kept staring at me in this creepy way and licking her lips. N...now I'm outta cash."

"Tough break," Dot muttered.

Wakko patted his back.

"You'll be alright."

As they walked into the next room, Alphys updated her status.

*omg the humanfolk were reading my posts the whole time

*i hope they agree with me about Mew Mew 2

"No comment this time," said Dot.

The platforms in front of them were covered in the steamy arrows.

"Guess this is like that other puzzle from two chapters ago," said Yakko.

They stepped on the arrows, whooping as they jumped. Left, up, right, down, down, right, up, up, left, and up. Before they could get to the first puzzle, they were attacked by Tsunderplane! Not because of being jealous Vulkin paid attention to them….

"You're doing a great job!" said Wakko, encouraging Vulkin.

"Ahh! Ahh! Does my best!"

"Hey babe!" said Yakko while approaching Tsunderplane, "Want some of this?"

"Eeeeh? H-humanfolk?"

Planes fell through the box and fireballs were launched from the side. A fireball hit Dot on her arm, taking away 2 HP.

"Ouch!"

Yakko narrowly touched the green sides of the planes as he approached, making Tsunderplane blush. They spared them, receiving 100 gold and allowing them to pass. As they entered the room, they realized it truly was the same puzzle.

"Okay," said Dot, "we got only one bullet this time!"

"I got this one," said Wakko.

He moved the joystick left, then right. It cleared the boxes from the pathway, allowing him to shoot the ammo at the target.

"We won, we won, we won!" they cheered.

Leaving the room, they found two diamond monsters outside. One was red and wore a baseball cap backwards, and the other was green and wore a blue striped shirt.

"Hey," Yakko asked the red diamond, "what's your favorite Mettaton Moment(™)?"

He momentarily gawked at his change of speech.

"My fave Mettaton Moment(™)? Right when everything looks the baddest, he poses dramatically. Like when he's on a cooking show and the eggs don't turn out right."

"And yours?" Dot asked the green diamond.

"My fave Mettaton Moment(™) is when he beats up the heel-turning villains! Even if it's during what's supposed to be a quiz show."

"Cool," said Yakko.

They went to the other side. Down, down, left, down, down, right, right, down, left, and down!

"Wow," said Dot, "conveyor belts and blue lasers? This one's gonna be hard."

"It looks impossible," said Wakko, stepping on the conveyor belt with his siblings.

"Nah," said Yakko, "it just means we can't get to the other side without getting hurt."

They got hit by the first blue laser, but it didn't hurt them. Instead, it summoned a boundary box and three extra lasers.

"Don't move!" Dot shouted.

They stood still as three more blue lasers passed over them. Moving back on the conveyor belt, the same thing happened but with one blue laser followed by two orange ones.

"Run!" Wakko shouted as they went through the orange lasers.

The last one summoned the same pattern.

"Here we go again!" said Dot, repeating what she did last time.

A platform separated the conveyer belt in two, letting the Warners get off to the next puzzle. But as they stepped back on normal ground, Alphys called Dot.

"Hey Dot!"

"Hey Alphys."

"This um, doesn't have anything to do with guiding you...but...Uhh, Hey, would you want to watch a human TV show together? Sometime? It's called, um, M...Mew Mew Kissy Cutie…"

"Sure!"

"R-really!?"

"Yeah, it sounds like the kinda show I'd like!"

"It's so good! It's, um, my favorite show!"

Then she started talking in rapid-fire mode. Dot could barely keep up.

"It's all about this human girl named Mew Mew who has cat ears! Which humans don't have! S-so she's all sensitive about them! But like...Eventually! She realizes that her ears don't matter!"

"Uh, Alphys?"

"That her friends like her despite the ears! It's really moving! Whoops, spoilers"

"Alphys, slow down!"

Yakko chuckled, seemingly the only one who could understand Alphys geeking out at that speed.

"Also, this sounds weird, but she has the power! To control the minds of anyone she kisses! She kisses people and controls them to fix her problems! They don't remember anything after the kiss I mean! BUT IF SHE MISSES THE KISS! THEN! Then, uh, and, uh, also I mean of course"

"That sounds crazy," said Yakko.

"Eventually, she realizes that controlling people OKAY WELL I almost spoiled the whole show, but uhhh, I think you'd really like it!"

She took a few breaths, then continued talking.

"We should watch it! After you get through all this!"

"Sounds like a plan," said Dot. "Can't wait!"

Alphys hung up, allowing them to solve the next puzzle.

"This one looks tricky," said Yakko. "I'll handle it!"

He moved the joystick as Wakko and Dot kept jumping and shouting which way to go.

"Left, no up, no down!"

"Left! Keep going left!"

"Move it down a bit!"

"Down, right, no up!"

"Left, left again, right!"

Soon, it formed a straight line. Yakko shot the target, completing the puzzle.

"Woo!" they all cheered.

They skipped over to the conveyor belt.

"These puzzles are pretty neat," said Yakko.

They kept skipping, then stopped in the middle to look at a randomly placed cactus.

"What's that doing there?" said Dot.

"I dunno," said Wakko, "but its flowers smell nice."

"Now we gotta get back to the right."

Up! Left! Up! Right! Right! Right! Up! Right!

"Got some high energy back," said Yakko.

They were met with two metal doors. On each side was a green glowing symbol. They flashed, then the door opened with a strong vibration, shaking the ground.

"Whoa!"

They waved their arms around to keep balance.

"That was intense," said Dot.

On the other side of the doors was a yellow twinkling star.

"Good thing those stars fill our HP back!" said Wakko.

The smell of cobwebs filled the air as the rest of the path changed. The sides changed colors from red to purple, leading to a hole in the wall.

"I guess this is some kinda spider entrance?" said Dot.

"Yeah," said Yakko, "there's webs everywhere!"

They zigzagged as they walked by, avoiding the spiderwebs on the floor.

"Ahuhuhuhu…" a shrill voice rang out. "Did you hear what they just said?"

Normal-looking spiders lowered themselves down from the ceiling, then back up.

"They said three cartoon children will come through. I heard that they hate spiders."

A large clump of webs appeared in front of them.

"Jeez," said Yakko, "ya think they'd clean up around here…"

As they stepped through the webs, their legs made squishing sounds.

"Gross…" said Wakko.

The shrill voice spoke again.

"I heard that they love to stomp on them. I heard that they like to tear their legs off."

"That's just cruel!" said Dot.

"Uh, sibs?" said Yakko. "...I can't move."

"Me neither," said Wakko.

"Same here," said Dot.

Looks of dread appeared on their faces as the spider girl from earlier appeared in a large web with four normal spiders by her side.

"I heard...that they're awfully stingy with their money. Ahuhuhuhu...You think your taste is too refined for our pastries, don't you, deary?"

They rapidly shook their heads.

"Ahuhuhu...I disagree with that notion. I think your taste...Is exactly what this next batch needs!"

An encounter started as the spider, named Muffet, trapped them in her webs. The Warners struggled to wriggle free.

"Diiiiiisgusting!" Dot shouted.

Muffet covered her mouth and giggled.

"Don't look so blue, my dearies~"

She poured purple tea inside the boundary box. Filling it up rather quickly.

"Gah!"

They tried to run away, but were cornered at the other end of the box. They held their breaths as they drowned in the purple tea. Their souls turned purple and were transported to the center of the box. Three purple lines were neatly placed across the box, the Warners being on the center line.

"What the-?!"

"...I think purple is a better look on you! Ahuhuhu~"

"It's not our place to say stuff like this," said Dot, "but she's BONKERS!"

One of the normal spiders held up a sign saying what attack would come next.

"Here," said Wakko, "ya want this?!"

He threw 40 pieces of gold at Muffet. She reduced her attack.

"Why so pale, children? You should be proud~"

"Pale?" said Yakko. "Our faces are always white!"

Spiders bounced across the purple strings of Muffet's web. Two top, two bottom, then two middle.

"Duck!" Dot shouted as they descended onto the bottom web.

One spider crawled by on the bottom web as they did so, hitting them.

Muffet continued her sentence.

"Proud that you're going to make a delicious cake! Ahuhuhu~"

"Are ya sure ya can handle us?" said Yakko. "Toon-flavored stuff is hard to stomach."

"Besides," said Wakko, "we taste awful!"

"Don't be so modest~"

They climbed up and down the web as more spiders were fired at them. Middle, low, two middle, two high, middle, low.

"Can ya PLEASE let us go?" Dot asked, making puppy-dog eyes.

"Let you go? Don't be silly~"

"Oh no, she's immune to cuteness!"

They were cornered by two spiders, one in the middle and the other on the bottom.

"We're not gonna make it!" said Wakko as they tried climbing back up to the top.

They got hit again.

"Jeez," said Dot, "we got hit only twice and we already lost 8 HP!"

Muffet did a synchronized dance with the other spiders, who clapped to the music as the Warners continued dodging.

"Your SOULS are going to make every spider very happy~~~"

"Up, down, down again, stay!" said Yakko. "ACK! Eyeball spiders!"

They climbed back to the top.

"Oh, how rude of me! I almost forgot to introduce you to my pet~ It's breakfast time isn't it? Have fun, you two~"

The boundary box bounced back and forth, moving to the side as she kept attacking.

"Oh god," said Dot, "it's shaking!"

Middle, up, middle, down, repeat the process three more times and here comes the spider-dog! The kids screamed as Muffet's pet chased them. They had to climb high, but not too high, or else they'd be hit by more spiders!

"Come on, come on, find a gap!" said Yakko.

They narrowly avoided three clumps of spiders, but were hit twice when the gaps they searched for closed right as they were about to jump through.

"Oof!" said Wakko, clutching his stomach.

"One more hit and we're done for," said Yakko. "Got any more items?"

Wakko pulled out the jug of spider cider.

"Oh hey," said Dot, "almost forgot we had that!"

"Drink up, sibs!"

They each took a sip from the jar, maxing out their HP.

"Huh?" said Muffet. "Where did you get that…? Did you steal it? Oh, my pet~ It's time to show them what we do with thieves~"

The Warners tried to inch away.

"Wait, wait, we can explain-"

Just then, another spider brought a letter to Muffet, pausing the fight.

"Huh? A telegram from the spiders in the RUINS?"

She took it and started reading it.

"What? They're saying that they saw you, and...you helped donate to their cause!"

"Yeah!" said Wakko.

"Oh my, this has all been a big misunderstanding~ I thought you were children that hated spiders~"

"Nah," said Dot, "I'm pretty sure my pet's part spider."

"What gave ya that idea?" said Yakko, more curious than irritated.

"The person who asked for those SOULs...They must have meant DIFFERENT cartoon children~ Sorry for all the trouble~ Ahuhuhu~ I'll make it up to you~ You can come back here any time...And, for no charge at all…"

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"I'll wrap you up and let you play with my pet again!"

Their eyes bulged.

"No thanks!" said Yakko.

"Ahuhuhuhuhuhu~" Muffet giggled. "Just kidding~"

They sighed with relief.

"I'll SPARE you now~"

She unwrapped them from the web.

"Thanks Muffet!" said Wakko.

"Ahuhuhuhu…That was fun! See you again, dearies!"

She faded away in the distance, allowing them to progress.

"I gotta say," said Yakko as they kept walking, "she ain't too bad."

The next room was painted a brighter purple, and a poster for Mettaton's latest stage performance was plastered to the brick wall.

"A tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers," Dot read, "kept apart by the tides of fate…looks like we're in for a treat!"

"Come on," said Wakko, "they're about to start!"

They ran ahead, onto the set. It was painted blue, with black houses in the background and a large tower with a vine ladder.

" **OH? THAT SURFACE DWELLER...** "

They looked up to find where Mettaton's was coming from. Three stars and a full moon were hanging from the ceiling, and they saw a window by the tower. Mettaton stuck part of his face out to look down at them.

" **COULD IT BE…?** "

Mettaton showed his full body, revealing he wore a blue princess dress. The Warners had to cover their mouths so they wouldn't be heard laughing.

" **...MY ONE TRUE LOVE?** "

An angelic harp played as Mettaton carefully rolled down the stairs.

"Who's he gonna pick?" said Wakko.

"I dunno," said Yakko, "but this is gonna be good…"

As he rolled onto the floor, he held Yakko's hand and serenaded him. Wakko and Dot could barely hold back giggles.

**Oh my love**

**Please run away**

**Monster King**

**Forbids your stay**

Mettaton walked around the stage, taking Yakko with him and pulling him into a waltz. Yakko was curious to where Mettaton was going with this, but decided not to interrupt him. He chuckled a little; it was the first time a gay robot serenaded him.

**Humanfolk must**

**Live far apart**

**Even if**

**It breaks my heart**

Cherry petals fell down from the ceiling as Mettaton broke away from Yakko.

**They'll put you**

**In the dungeon**

**It'll suck**

**And then you'll die a lot**

**Really sad**

**You're gonna die**

**Cry cry cry**

**So sad it's happening.**

A shooting star passed by them as the music stopped.

"Wow…" said Yakko. "That was beautiful…"

He and his siblings shed some tears. Yakko pulled a handkerchief out of his pants and blew his nose.

" **SO SAD. SO SAD THAT YOU ARE GOING TO THE DUNGEON.** "

He pulled out a remote and pressed the red button.

" **WELL, TOODLES!** "

The Warners screamed as the ground gave way from under them. However, they managed to nail the landing as they made contact with another lava rock platform.

" **OH NO! WHATEVER SHALL I DO? MY LOVE AND HIS FAMILY HAVE BEEN CAST AWAY INTO THE DUNGEON. A DUNGEON WITH A PUZZLE SO DASTARDLY, MY PARAMOUR WILL SURELY PERISH!** "

"Fear not, Mettaton!" Yakko shouted. "We'll find some way to escape!"

As the toons looked ahead, they found the colored tile puzzle Papyrus set up for them earlier.

"Oh jeez," said Dot, "not this one!"

" **O, HEAVENS HAVE MERCY! THE HORRIBLE COLORED TILE MAZE! EACH COLORED TILE HAS ITS OWN SADISTIC FUNCTION. FOR EXAMPLE, A GREEN TILE SOUNDS A NOISE, AND THEN YOU MUST FIGHT A MONSTER. RED TILES WILL...ACTUALLY, WAIT A SECOND. DIDN'T WE SEE THIS PUZZLE ABOUT A HUNDRED ROOMS AGO?** "

"You were watching us too?" said Yakko, modestly extending his arm out. "I'm flattered."

" **THAT'S RIGHT. YOU REMEMBER ALL THE RULES, DON'T YOU? GREAT...THEN I WON'T WASTE YOUR TIME REPEATING THEM! OH, AND YOU'D BETTER HURRY. BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T GET THROUGH IN 30 SECONDS...YOU'LL BE INCINERATED BY THESE JETS OF FIRE!** "

He maniacally laughed.

"It's so on!" said Dot, cracking her knuckles.

Her brothers stretched their arms and legs, ready to make it through.

" **MY POOR LOVE! I'M SO FILLED WITH GRIEF, I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING! GOOD LUCK, DARLINGS!** "

They ran onto the conveyor belt standing in between them and the tiles, singing backup to the second verse of Mettaton's song.

**Oh my love** (Pink green orange purple)

**Has fallen down** (Pink pink blue blue)

**Now in tears** (Pink green orange purple)

**We all will drown** (Purple orange pink purple)

**Colored tiles** (Blue blue blue pink)

**Make them fools** (Orange green purple orange)

**If only they** (Purple blue pink orange)

**Still knew the rules** (OW shocked back to blue)

**Well that was** (Dunno what we're doing)

**A sorry try** (But we're just choosing)

**Now let's watch** (To make it out)

**Them fry** (Alive)

They were just about to step on the clumps of the green tiles, but the timer ran out right before they could do so. The tiles faded to gray as Mettaton stared them down.

" **OOOOH, I'M SO SORRY! LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE OUT OF TIME!** "

Dot snapped her fingers as she and her brothers shared looks of disappointment.

"Aw man!"

"We were so close!" said Wakko.

"Well," said Yakko, shrugging, "guess we'll die."

The flame jets closed in on them.

" **HERE COME THE FLAMES, DARLINGS! THEY'RE CLOSING IN!** "

The Warners counted down on their fingers.

" **GETTING! CLOSER! OH MY! ANY MINUTE NOW!** "

But Alphys didn't show up. Mettaton stopped the flames before they could touch the kids, releasing a robotic cough.

"Don't worry," said Yakko, "she should be here in three...two…"

Yakko received a call from Alphys, and he gladly answered.

"And boom goes the dynamite! Take it away, Al!"

"Watch out! I'll save you! I'm hacking into the firewall right now!"

The flames disappeared.

" **OH NO! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? FOILED AGAIN BY THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS! THA-** "

"That's right!" her Phyllis Smith-esque voice squeaked, improvising. "Come on, Mettaton, give up already! You'll never be able to defeat us...Not as long as we work together!"

"Hey," said Dot, "not bad! She's finally growing a spine!"

"Your puzzle's over...Now go home and leave us alone!"

The Warners whooped and clapped for Alphys.

" **PUZZLE? OVER? ALPHYS, DARLING, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT…? DID YOU FORGET WHAT THE GREEN TILES DO? THEY MAKE A SOUND, THEN YOU HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER. WELL, DARLINGS...THAT MONSTER...IS ME!** "

He approached and began an encounter.

" **THIS IS IT, DARLINGS! SAY GOODBYE!** "

"Bring it on!" said Yakko.

Just then, Wakko's phone chirped.

" **IS THAT YOUR PHONE? YOU'D BETTER ANSWER IT!** "

Alphys texted them.

*hey this seems bad but don't worry! See that yellow button I put on your phones? Go to the [[ACT]] menu and press it!

The buttons glowed.

"Can't believe I never noticed that before," said Dot.

They pressed the buttons. Their phones resonated with Mettaton's presence. Just then, the Warners felt something weird happen within them. Their souls turned upside down.

"Ackggh!"

Their hands also had minds of their own, turning towards Mettaton and making finger guns. They shuddered once they stopped moving, realizing their souls and bodies turned yellow. Getting the idea, they pulled their triggers and shot tiny yellow bullets out of their fingers and at Mettaton.

"Pew pew!" said Wakko.

"Bang bang!" said Dot.

"Stick 'em up!" said Yakko.

As Mettaton responded, however, it sounded phoned in.

" **OOOOOOOOOH! YOU'VE DEFEATED ME! HOW CAN THIS BE, YOU WERE STRONGER THAN I THOUGHT, ETC. WHATEVER."**

He rolled away as the Warners waved.

"Bye Mettaton!" Dot shouted.

"Can't wait to see what you're up to next!" Yakko shouted.

They received another text from Alphys.

*looks like you beat him! You did a really great job out there

Wanting to make her feel important, Wakko texted her back.

*All thanks to you!

*what? Oh no, I mean

*you were the ones doing everything cool! I just wrote some silly programs for your phone.

Yakko texted back.

*But you're the one who's been cheering us on the whole time! Sure, it's one thing if we're doing it on our own, but we get more motivation when we've got somebody on our side.

*i guess you're right

*hey this might sound strange but

*can i tell you something?

Dot responded.

*Go ahead! We got plenty of time.

*before I met you I didn't really like myself that much. For a long time I felt like a total screwup. Like I couldnt do anything without ending up letting everyone down

*but guiding you has made me feel a lot better about myself. So thanks for letting me help you.

Yakko responded.

*Anytime!

Wakko texted back a hugging emoji, then Alphys texted again.

*uh anyway we're almost to the CORE

*its just past mtt resort

*come on! Let's finish this!

The Warners smiled at each other.

"Ya know," said Dot, "I think she's finally growin' on me."

As they walked up to the next area, they found a familiar face.

"Hey," said Wakko, "it's the Nice Cream man!"

He perked up as he saw them walk by.

"Hey! It's you again!"

"How's it goin'?" Dot asked.

"Business is excellent here! These two fellas bought ALL my ice cream!"

He pointed to 01 and 02.

"So," said Yakko, "that means ya got none left?"

"Afraid so. Sorry kids. But I still got something for you...a big smile!"

They smiled back.

"Let us know when ya refill!" said Wakko.

They approached 01 and 02, who leaned against the wall.

"Hey guys!" Dot waved.

"Oh," said 01, "hey. We're, like, taking a rain check on that killing-you thing. Like, don't tell Undyne about this, okay?"

"No worries," said Yakko, "Fish Stick's a friend of ours! She's cool with this."

02 didn't say anything, but seemed happy. They then walked to the right to find the flame man again.

"Hey, hey! Did you remember my name?"

"Yeah," said Dot, "Heats Flamesman!"

His eyes bulged.

"Wh-WHAT!? You REMEMBER!? How could I be so easily defeateeeeeeeeed!? I'll always remember that you remembered!"

The Warners laughed at Heats' reaction. It seemed as if their presence really seemed to catch everyone off guard. Their unexpectedness filled them with determination.


	29. Into the Mechanical Jungle

The entrance to the MTT Hotel looked rather fancy with a red carpet, large bushes, and clear doors. But what caught their attention was Sans standing right in front of the bush on their left.

"Well, whaddya know?" Yakko asked. "It's Sans!"

"hey guys."

"Whatcha doin' out here?" said Wakko.

"i heard you're going to the core. how about grabbing some dinner with me first?"

"Are ya kidding?" said Dot. "We'd never say no to you."

"great, thanks for treating me. over here. i know a shortcut."

"Lead the way!" said Yakko.

They followed him down the alley. Before they knew it, they were suddenly sitting in an empty restaurant. The tables and walls were a duller purple compared to the previous room.

"well, here we are."

"Ya sure picked out a nice place," said Dot.

"thanks. so. your journey's almost over, huh? you must really wanna go home."

"I'll admit," said Yakko. "I kinda miss my other friends back in Burbank. Scratchy, Pinky, Brain, Slappy, Skippy...I wonder if they even know we're gone."

"they're probably looking for you back at the surface. kids like you are hard to forget."

They smiled at him.

"anyway, i know the feeling. though...maybe sometimes it's better to take what's given to you. down here you've already got food, drink, more friends…is what you have to do...really worth it?"

"Well," said Dot, "just so ya know, we're not goin' back home without you guys. Even if it means we have to stay down here forever. But it's totally worth it."

"you'll have to convince the king not to kill you first. and let me tell you, it's gonna be hard. people say he's a pushover, but he's also really stubborn."

"Still worth a shot," said Wakko.

Sans sighed.

"look, i appreciate what you're doing. we all do. just don't get too ahead of yourselves, okay? if you run before you know how to walk, it won't end well."

They nodded.

"i'm rootin' for ya, kids."

"Thanks Sans," said Dot.

Sans went silent for a bit, then spoke up again.

"hey. let me tell you a story. so i'm a sentry in snowdin forest, right? i sit out there and watch for humans. it's kind of boring. fortunately, deep in the forest...there's this HUGE locked door."

This peaked the kids' interest. Their ears perked up as they kept listening to Sans' story.

"and it's perfect for practicing knock knock jokes. so one day, i'm knocking 'em out, like usual. i knock on the door and say 'knock knock.' and suddenly, from the other side...i hear a woman's voice. 'who is there?' so, naturally, i respond: 'dishes.' 'dishes who?' 'dishes a very bad joke.'"

The Warners chuckled at the joke. As Sans progressed, they had an idea of who the woman was, but needed a little more proof to be sure.

"then she just howls with laughter. like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years. so i keep 'em coming, and she keeps laughing. she's the best audience i've ever had. then, after a dozen of 'em, SHE knocks and says…'Knock knock!' i say 'whos there?' 'old lady!' 'old lady who?'"

They already knew the punchline.

"'oh! I did not know you could yodel!'"

Yakko and Dot excitedly gasped, the proper grammar giving it away.

"Goat Mom!" Wakko shouted.

"huh?"

Yakko explained.

"That lady you've been talkin' to took care of us for a week before we met ya! We call her Goat Mom 'cause she reminds us of our mom."

"Her name's Toriel," said Wakko.

"toriel...that's a nice name. anyway, we kept telling jokes for hours. eventually, i had to leave. papyrus gets cranky without his bedtime story."

Dot's smile grew a little bigger and squeaked at the mention of Papyrus.

"but she told me to come by again, so i did. then i did again. and again. it's a thing now. telling bad jokes through the door."

"That's sweet," said Dot.

He nodded.

"it rules."

"This is a nice story and all," said Yakko, "but it's obviously goin' somewhere. What are ya hiding?"

"i'm getting there, yakko. one day, i noticed she wasn't laughing very much. i asked her what was up. then she told me something strange. 'if a human or humanfolk ever comes through this door...could you please, please promise something? watch over them, and protect them, will you not?'"

The Warners exchanged curious glances, then looked back at Sans.

"You're being serious, right?" Dot asked. "No jokes or punchlines?"

"no jokes this time. now, i hate making promises. and this woman, i didn't even know her name before now. but...someone who sincerely likes bad jokes...has an integrity you can't say 'no' to."

He looked away and took a moment to sigh. Unlike her brothers, Dot never really got to see this side to Sans unless her nightmare counted. As for Yakko and Wakko, they didn't expect to see it resurface. He faced them once more.

"do you get what i'm saying? that promise i made to her...you know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything?"

They shook their heads.

"...kids."

Sans' pupils disappeared from his eyesockets as he spoke in the same low and shaky voice he used when he first approached them back in the forest.

" **You'd be dead where you stand.** "

Yakko and Wakko felt uncomfortable, but Dot was flat-out spooked. She wasn't letting that nightmare bother her before, but hearing Sans' words...made her tremble.

"At your hands or someone else's?" Yakko asked, half-joking.

Sans had no reply as Wakko tried to calm Dot down.

"What's wrong, sis?"

"...I…"

Sans' pupils returned and he gave her a look as if he knew about the nightmare, then continued talking. He would have shrugged off his comment as a joke, but decided against it.

"in a different timeline, there's no guarantee you'd be this friendly and upbeat. toons should know more than anyone about what they could've been."

"How'd ya get so deep?" said Yakko.

"i dunno," Sans shrugged, "i guess it kinda happened. but back to toriel's promise, haven't i done a great job protecting you? i mean, look at yourselves. you haven't died a single time."

"That's what happens when ya bend the rules of the game a little," said Dot.

"I gotta say," said Yakko, "your story explains why you've been followin' us everywhere. Not that we're complaining, though."

"i know."

He got out of his chair.

"well, that's all. take care of yourselves, kids. 'cause someone really cares about you."

As he walked away, the Warners waved, but not as enthusiastically.

"Bye Sans…"

"Was he like that at Grillby's?" Dot asked.

"Yeah," said Wakko, "when he told us about Papyrus and Flowey."

They walked out of the restaurant, not quite sure what feeling filled them. All they knew was that they felt...something. Yakko lightened the mood.

"Toriel and Sans...never would've guessed."

"At least those skeleton jokes in her diary make sense now," said Dot.

Finding themselves in the hotel's lobby, they couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Mettaton's fountain. He made finger guns while spitting water all over the red carpet.

"We can do better," said Yakko.

They all stood under the fountain and filled their mouths with water, then Wakko and Dot perched themselves on Yakko's hands. The three of them spit out their water at an angle, putting Mettaton's fountain to shame. A few monsters passing by laughed and took pictures of them until they ran out of water. As Wakko and Dot jumped off, Yakko thought of something.

"Hey, before we keep going can we go back outside? I saw a note by the entrance."

"Sure!" said Wakko.

They walked outside and found the note Yakko talked about.

(Hey! Go up the creepy alleyway on the right for some great deals!)

"Kinda suspicious," said Dot, "but we got nothin' to lose."

They walked and found a small shop run by a crocodile girl and a cat. As they spoke in almost perfect sync, the crocodile would normally talk before the cat.

"Hey! Check it out!"

"Yeah! Check it out!"

"I'm Bratty, and this is my best friend, Catty."

"I'm Catty, and this is my best friend, Bratty."

They looked at each other for a moment, then laughed.

"Neat store ya got here," said Yakko. "Where'd ya get all this stuff?"

"The stuff inside," said Bratty, "is like…"

"TOTALLY wicked expensive." said Catty.

"But, like, this stuff we found is like…"

"TOTALLY wicked cheap."

"You should…"

"Like…"

"TOTALLY wicked buy all of it!" they finished in unison.

"You're lucky we're crazy rich," said Yakko.

They looked at the items. There was junk food with a huge chunk bitten out of it, a cowboy hat, an empty gun, and a mystery key.

"I'll take the hat and the gun," said Yakko, handing them 700G.

"Bratty, we're gonna be RICH!"

Dot looked at her brother confused as he put the items in Wakko's bag.

"Why did ya buy those if you're not gonna use 'em?"

"I will later."

He turned to look back at Bratty and Catty.

"Anyway, we got a show to catch; there's no way we're missing Mettaton's finale! So, uhhhhh, see ya around."

"Like, see you later!"

"Like, later and stuff!"

They walked back into the hotel and found a few other monsters crowding around the elevator. They would normally talk to them, but they were incredibly eager for their final showdown with Mettaton and chose not to waste anymore time. Unfortunately, the elevator was broken.

"Well," said Yakko, "looks like we'll have to do this the hard way."

They walked through the doors with "CORE" written over it in large orange letters. The pathway grew dimmer as they looked ahead, and they could have sworn they say two black shadows walking away from them. This was followed by texts from Alphys. She would send them a long chain of texts as they made their way through the Core, so they made sure not to miss a beat.

*huh? Who are they?

*nobody else is supposed to be here

Dot texted back.

*We made it this far, no way we're stopping now!

As they reached the end of the hallway, the machinery menacingly glowed red and the open doorway emitted a blue light. Moderately quick techno music played, causing high levels of energy to flow within the toons' bodies.

"This is a nice beat," said Yakko. "Really gets me in the mood."

*ready? This is it! Take the elevator up to the top of the core!

Upon examination, however, the elevator was broken.

"Welp," said Dot as she texted Alphys about the situation, "looks like we'll have to take the long way."

The path split in two by the left and the right of the elevator.

"Let's try left," said Yakko.

As soon as they took the left, they were approached by one of the shadowy figures.

*watch out!

An encounter was initiated as Madjick popped out of its hat.

"Uh-" Yakko started.

Madjick cut him off by chattering to itself. It seemed satisfied.

"Please and thank you."

It summoned three orbs, which worked as a homing attack.

"Oh no not one of these!" Dot shouted.

They dodged to the music, jumping to the sides of the boundary box four times before the attack ended. Madjick left behind 30 gold after being spared.

*that was close

"You can say that again, Alphys!" said Yakko.

*why are there so many monsters here

They ran toward the open red door, ignoring her text. A blue zigzag laser blocked the path, but a switch was next to it.

"This is way too easy!" said Dot.

She hit it, deactivating it but reactivating three lasers.

"Here they come," said Wakko.

They froze in position as two blue lasers passed over them, but ran through the third orange one and across the glass floor. It wasn't long before they reached another crossroads. They could either go left or straight.

"Hey," said Dot, "what's that on the left?"

They ran to the side, encountering Knight Knight in front of a dead end.

"She looks tired," said Yakko.

He approached her and sang a lullaby.

"Rock-a-bye baby in the tree top…"

She started to look sleepy, smashing her Morningstar on the ground. Shooting stars fell all around the box.

"Look out!" Wakko shouted.

The three of them retreated to their safe corner in the bottom right side of the box. Once it stopped, Yakko sang again.

"When the wind blows the cradle will drop…"

She closed her eyes and snored, falling asleep. Dot nodded at her brother.

"Not bad, Yakko!"

"Thanks, sister sib."

They headed back to the other path and found more lasers.

"Oh boy," said Dot, "that's a lotta lasers."

"How are we gonna get past this one?" Wakko asked.

*i wont mess around this time. I'll just deactivate the lasers and let you through

*wait its not turning off

*ill just turn off the whole power node

She shut down the power.

"This isn't too bad," said Yakko. "I can still kinda see."

They passed by the first half of the lasers just fine, but things got a little complicated as they walked through a seemingly never-ending row of deactivated lasers.

*WAIT STOP

"Huh?" said Wakko.

They all froze as the lasers turned back on. All of them were blue.

*the power is turning itself back on

*damnit this isnt supposed to

They would have comforted her if moving their mouths didn't mean they'd be hurt.

*gonna turn it off again

*when i do that move a little then STOP

They turned off.

"Thanks Al!" said Yakko.

They took five quick steps before freezing as the lasers turned back on, all to the beat of the music. This happened three times before they got to the other side.

"All clear!" said Dot.

They reached a third crossroads. This time they could go forward, left, or right.

"I wanna go left again," said Yakko. "It hasn't failed us yet!"

The air around them reeked of ozone, filling them with determination.

"Twinkling star," said Wakko, "give us strength."

They did so, finding a conveyor belt carrying ice to cool the Core.

"It's like Snowdin," said Dot, "but we actually see where the ice cubes go!"

They continued skipping forward, straying to the left to read a sign.

" _ Solve this puzzle _ ," Wakko read, " _ and The End will open _ . Look, another box puzzle!"

They excitedly ran to the puzzle.

"We got two shots this time," said Yakko.

Left, up, left, down, down, down, up, right, right, up, right, up, right.

"There we go!"

Yakko shot the box blocking his path, then shot the target. They returned to the path they were on before and found yet another crossroads.

"Jeez," said Dot, "it's like they're obsessed or something."

Front or right?

"Right's always right," said Wakko.

They ran all the way down the hall, ignoring the other crossroads, and could choose between left or right.

"Left," they said in unison.

A trash can was in the middle of the room. Yakko's eyes popped as soon as he saw what was inside.

"HOLY COW! Who would wanna throw away 100 gold?!"

Naturally, he took the money.

"Whoa," said Dot, "you weren't joking!"

They ran back the other way, finding themselves at an identical crossroads.

"I think I'm getting dizzy," said Wakko.

"You're not alone," said Yakko.

They stumbled to their left, finding a bridge.

"Well," said Dot, "at least we know we're going the right way."

"Is Alphys ok?" Wakko asked. "She hasn't texted in a while."

"She probably went to the bathroom again," said Yakko.

They were almost across the bridge when Astigmatism drew near.

"...Don't pick on me."

"We won't," said Wakko.

Small balls ricocheted off the wall and at the Warners.

"Yipe!"

They stumbled back, then lunged to the side. Astigmatism didn't care about fighting anymore and gave the Warners 50 gold as they spared it.

"Look sibs," said Yakko, pointing to the wall where an elevator and ominous door greeted them, "we made it!"

"Mettaton's gotta be in there waiting for us," said Wakko.

"Yep," said Yakko.

They stepped through the door.

"Let's do this."


	30. Battle of the Entertainers

The Warners knew a stage when they were on one. The all too familiar feeling crept over them as the dimly lit stageroom revealed Mettaton sitting in the center.

"Hey Mettaton!" they greeted.

" **OH YES. THERE YOU ARE, DARLINGS.** "

They were thrown off by Mettaton's lack of enthusiasm and flare.

"Why so serious?" said Yakko.

" **IT'S TIME TO HAVE OUR LITTLE SHOWDOWN. IT'S TIME TO FINALLY STOP THE 'MALFUNCTIONING' ROBOT. ...NOT! MALFUNCTION? REPROGRAMMING? GET REAL. YOU ALWAYS KNEW THIS WAS ALL JUST A BIG SHOW. AN ACT. I COULD TELL YOU SAW RIGHT THROUGH ME THE WHOLE TIME. AND I ASSUME YOU KNOW ABOUT ALPHYS TOO, RIGHT?** "

"We can't be fooled that easily," Dot nodded.

" **WELL, HERE'S SOMETHING YOU** **_DON'T_ ** **KNOW...AS ALPHYS WATCHED YOU ON THE SCREEN, SHE GREW ATTACHED TO YOUR ADVENTURE. SHE SO DESPERATELY WANTED TO BE A PART OF IT THAT SHE REACTIVATED THE PUZZLES, DISABLED THE ELEVATORS, AND ENLISTED ME TO TORMENT YOU.** "

"At least it got us on your show," said Wakko. "I guess we have to thank her for that."

" **I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE ENOUGH FOR HER, WAKKO. ALTHOUGH YOU EVENTUALLY WARMED UP TO HER, SHE NEVER GOT YOU TO SEE HER AS THE GREAT HERO THAT SHE'S NOT. THAT'S WHY NOW IS HER FINEST HOUR. AT THIS VERY MOMENT, ALPHYS IS WAITING OUTSIDE THE ROOM.** "

"Let me guess," said Yakko, "she's gonna come in and save our butts again."

" **CORRECT. YOU KIDS ARE SMART.** "

"Ugh," said Dot, "that sucks."

"You're not gonna let her get in the way of our little showdown, are ya?" said Yakko, folding his arms.

" **ABSOLUTELY NOT.** "

"Good."

He smiled at Mettaton.

" **YOU SEE, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PREDICTABLE CHARADE. LIKE YOU THREE, MY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN. AFTER ALL, THE AUDIENCE DESERVES A GOOD SHOW, DON'T THEY?** "

"They sure do, Mettaton."

" **AND WHAT'S A GOOD SHOW...WITHOUT A PLOT TWIST?** "

The doors locked shut behind them.

"Finally," said Dot, "the four of us can have a little privacy!"

Five red lights appeared around Mettaton and one white spotlight began to shine down on him.

" **SORRY, FOLKS! THE OLD PROGRAM'S BEEN CANCELLED! BUT WE'VE GOT A FINALE THAT WILL DRIVE YOU WILD!** "

Without any warning, the platform skyrocketed so quickly that gravity pulled the Warners' bodies to the ground in an instant.

"Whoa!"

A dramatic fanfare played as they got back up on their feet.

" **REAL DRAMA! REAL ACTION! REAL BLOODSHED! ON OUR NEW SHOW…'ATTACK OF THE KILLER ROBOT!'** "

When the stage came to a halt, the four of them were surrounded by a crowd of monsters. The adoring audience watched as the Warners were pulled into an encounter with Mettaton, their souls and bodies changing back to yellow mode.

"Time to show off our true colors again," said Yakko.

They shook off their yellow skin, regaining their normal color schemes.

" **YES, I WAS THE ONE THAT RE-ARRANGED THE CORE! I WAS THE ONE THAT HIRED EVERYONE TO KILL YOU! THAT, HOWEVER, WAS A SHORT-SIGHTED PLAN. YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER? KILLING YOU MYSELF!** "

"We'll see about that," said Dot.

They shot their yellow bullets at Mettaton.

"Pew pew!" said Yakko.

"Bang bang!" said Wakko.

" **THOSE WORTHLESS PEA SHOOTERS WON'T WORK ON ME, DARLINGS.** "

"We know," said Dot, "we understand what acting is."

" **LISTEN, DARLINGS. I'VE SEEN YOU FIGHT. YOU HOLD BACK YOUR TREMENDOUS TOON POWER FOR OUR SAKES. IF YOU CONTINUE FORWARD, ASGORE WILL TAKE YOUR SOULS.** "

"That's nothin' some smooth talk can't stop," said Yakko. "We'll twist his arm."

" **BUT THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE WRONG. ASGORE IS RUTHLESS, AND WITH YOUR SOULS HE WILL DESTROY HUMANITY.** "

The kids gasped as Mettaton sent hollowed-out square projectiles similar to the puzzles from earlier at them. The squares broke upon contact with their bullets.

"He can't do that!" said Dot. "We'll lose what's left of our fans!"

" **BUT IF** **_I_ ** **GET ONE OF YOUR SOULS, I CAN STOP ASGORE'S PLAN! I CAN SAVE HUMANITY FROM DESTRUCTION!** "

Rows consisting of sturdy bricks, a bomb, and two squares were dropped into the boundary box. The Warners shot the squares and created gaps to escape.

"That's good," said Wakko.

"Mettaton," said Yakko, "if I end up dying to you it'd be an honor."

" **I KNOW, DARLING. THEN, USING YOUR SOULS I'LL CROSS THROUGH THE BARRIER...AND BECOME THE STAR I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING! HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS...NO! MILLIONS OF HUMANS WILL WATCH ME!** "

Two rows of white bricks with a yellow one placed somewhere in the middle came down. These were followed by a row of the squares with a bomb in the center. The Warners shot the yellow bricks.

"Ya know," said Dot, "you're right about one thing; the humans would  _ love _ ya."

Slightly distracted by her conversation with Mettaton, she shot the bomb and it released an explosion consisting of a horizontal and a vertical line; the vertical line shot her right in the face, causing her to lose 4 HP.

"Ouch!"

" **GLITZ! GLAMOUR! I'LL FINALLY HAVE IT ALL! SO WHAT IF A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE? THAT'S SHOW BUSINESS, BABY!** "

"I mean," said Yakko, "it depends on the program. We do things a little differently back at home."

As Yakko said this to Mettaton, Wakko checked his phone to see five new texts from Alphys.

*i cant see whats going on but theres one last thing to beat mettaton

*its a work in progress but dont judge it too hard

*you know how hes always facing forward

*theres a switch on his backside

*itll make him vulnerable

"Hey Mettaton," said Wakko, "there's a mirror behind you!"

" **OH? A MIRROR? RIGHT, I HAVE TO LOOK PERFECT FOR OUR GRAND FINALE!** "

He turned around, revealing the switch on his back.

"How'd ya know he had that?" said Dot.

"Alphys."

"Of course."

" **HMM...I DON'T SEE IT...WHERE IS IT…?** "

With a swipe of his hand, Yakko flipped his switch.

"Tag, you're it!"

The music stopped.

" **DID YOU. JUST FLIP. MY SWITCH?** "

He turned around, putting his hands on the sides of his head. His screen glitched out and he wobbled from side to side. The Warners put their hands out to shield their eyes as Mettaton seemed to explode in a huge cloud of white smoke.

" **OHHHHH YESSSSSSS~** "

"...what did we just do?" said Dot.

"I think we turned him on," said Wakko.

"Goodnight everybody," Yakko muttered.

Two spotlights shined down on the remaining puff of smoke as Mettaton prepared his grand reveal. All the Warners could see was his silhouette: a more human-like, slender figure.

" **Ohhhh my. If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing. You're desperate for the premiere of my new body. How rude…** "

"Looks like we're in for a wild ride," said Yakko.

" **Lucky for you, I've been aching to show this off for a long time. So...as thanks, I'll give you a handsome reward. I'll make your last living moments…** "

Mettaton came out of his shadow as the Warners' jaws completely dropped at his magnificent new body. From the belt up, his "skin" was made of shiny silver metal topped with parted black hair on his head. He "wore" a pink "shirt" with black shoulder-pads, a strange pointy black symbol, and a speaker. White gloves similar to the Warners' but with more sparkles covered his hands. Separated by his shield-shaped belt with a pink heart in the center, he seemed to be "wearing" black skinnyjeans and pink boots.

" **ABSOLUTELY beautiful!** "

"God he's gorgeous-" Dot whispered.

"Oh yeah!" Yakko shouted. "NOW we're talkin'!"

New music started to play as the boundary box disappeared, allowing the Warners to roam freely around the stage. Their toes uncontrollably tapped to the music as Mettaton made silly yet dramatic poses and sang to them.

**_Death by glamour, dead from my glamour  
_ ** **_Death by glamour, dead from my glamour_ **

The toons took notice of their toes' movements and started stomping their feet, embracing what the music was doing to them. Yakko and Wakko joined Mettaton with his singing as he repeated his lines.

**_Death by glamour, dead from my glamour  
_ ** _ (We're the Animaniacs and we're zany to the max)  
_ **_Death by glamour, dead from my glamour  
_ ** _ (So just sit back and relax you'll laugh 'til you collapse) _

The Warners dramatically posed, causing the audience to nod with approval. Yakko leaned back, placed the back of his right hand on his forehead, and extended his left arm out. Wakko leaned forward, put his hands by his head and wiggled his fingers while sticking his tongue out. Dot put her left hand on her hip and stuck her right arm in the air as she joined her brothers and Mettaton in their song.

**_Death by glamour, dead from my glamour  
_ ** _ (We're the Animaniacs and we're zany to the max)  
_ _ [Oh, is that so...]  
_ **_Death by glamour, dead from my glamour  
_ ** _ (So just sit back and relax you'll laugh 'til you collapse)  
_ _ [Start the show…]  
_ **_Death by glamour, dead from my glamour  
_ ** _ (We're the Animaniacs and we're zany to the max)  
_ _ [Here we go…]  
_ **_Death by glamour, dead from my glamour  
_ ** _ (So just sit back and relax you'll laugh 'til you collapse) _

The kids and Mettaton charged at each other as soon as the drums kicked in. Mettaton vocalized his first attacks; the Warners were able to combat it with commentary of their own in their improvised lyrics and they managed to even exchange some playful banter while singing.

**_We'll start with kicks from left to right, try to dodge with all your might  
_ ** _ (Y)Your punches don't do anything, I'll bounce back like a spring _

Yakko slid under Mettaton's legs and flipped as he jumped in the air and kicked Mettaton to the ground. He wasn't hurt, but rolled on his back and recovered quickly.

**_You really think you can beat me? You're hasbeens, wannabes  
_ ** _ (D)Don't get too cocky Mettaton, 'cause we've already won _

Mini-Mettatons circled around the Warners and blew explosive kisses at them. They dance-dodged around the mini-Mettatons, hopping and twirling to the beat while also shooting them.

**_Don't be silly beauties don't you know that no one cares about the many little things that you can do? They'll praise to me and not to you  
_ ** _ (W)Not for long though 'cause we've got a plan to  
_ _ (D)Win this fight and soon we will come out  
_ _ (Y)Right back on top, we're bigger stars and it's you they'll drop _

Mettaton attacked with more kicks and punches, seeing that the mini-Mettatons were shot to pieces. He briefly landed a hit on Wakko's nose, covering it up by posing while he grabbed it. The audience clapped for him. Mettaton also kicked Yakko's ankle, making him fall down. Yakko recovered his fall and leaned on his back in a sexy manner; the audience applauded at his dramatic pose.

( _ YWD)Don't you know that we will be the ones to break the barrier down, we'll be the ones who'll set you all free? Believe in the Warners three  
_ **_You will soon be done for I'm the idol everyone down here craves more so can you handle this, can you handle that?  
_ ** **_Dance break, show me what you have!_ **

Mettaton made various dramatic poses to the beat and fired a swarm of mini-Mettatons and bombs at the Warners, practically forcing them to dance if they wanted to dodge, but they didn't mind. Their dancing consisted of perfectly timed jumps, side-steps, spins, hip shakes, and dramatic poses. Each sibling had a solo before they all came back to center stage; Yakko jumped twice, spun, jumped again, made four dramatic poses extending his legs out in a Mettaton-like matter, side-stepped twice, jumped, and shook his hips three times. Wakko jumped four times, side-stepped three times, leaned back for a dramatic pose, shook his hips twice, spun, and jumped three more times. Dot side-stepped four times, shook her hips three times, jumped, dramatically posed twice, and spun three times; the last spin ended with a heel-turn and she scoffed at the audience, who rooted for her destruction. To finish the dance break, Mettaton danced with the Warners; the four of them were in perfect sync as they did a backflip, stomped their feet twice, and each did their own dramatic pose. Mettaton crouched down and extended his right leg out while covering his eyes, Yakko clenched his fists and kept his left arm by his face while extending his right, Wakko did a handstand, and Dot got on one knee while extending both her arms out. Mettaton then made Yakko spin into him and dipped him down, flipped Wakko upside down, and grabbed Dot's finger and twirled her. As they went back to singing, Mettaton sent boxes and bombs their way. The Warners shot through them.

_ (Y)Oh Mettaton, good thing that we turned you on  
_ _ (W)'Cause we're having a ball and you started it all  
_ _ (D)Oh what a shame, and the program's what to blame  
_ _ (W)For the end of the show  
_ _ (Y)We don't really wanna go _

Mettaton's heart-shaped core began to glow as it emitted lightning bolts at the Warners. They zigzagged as they dodged the bolts and shot his heart.

**_Don't be so sad, it might be over but I'm glad that you spiced up my show even if we have to go  
_ ** _ (W)But this was worth the wait  
_ _ (D)Don't say your prayers 'cause it's too late  
_ _ (Y)You just wanted a heart to heart but it tore you apart _

Mettaton's arms and legs fell off due to the toons shooting his heart, leaving only his head and chest left. His arms fell anticlimactically but his legs popped off, shooting like a rocket. The Warners jumped back, causing Mettaton's legs to somehow accidentally become attached to Yakko's. For the eldest Warner sibling, it felt like wearing gigantic high heels. He continued to dance, flaunting off his new robotic legs as Wakko and Dot danced around what remained of Mettaton.

_ (YWD)Death by glamour, dead from our glamour  
_ __ Death by glamour, dead from our glamour  
_ Death by glamour, dead from our glamour  
_ __ Death by glamour, dead from our glamour

As the music ended, Yakko flipped and landed in the splits. The crowd went absolutely ballistic, screaming their heads off and cheering as Yakko panted. Wakko and Dot helped him up; not used to the legs making him twice his height, Yakko wobbled backwards.

"Whoa!"

They held onto him, helping him regain his balance.

"Easy, Yakko!" said Dot.

"We gotcha!" said Wakko.

They held hands and took group bows as the audience cheered them on for once instead of Mettaton.

"We love you, Warner Brothers!"

Meanwhile, Mettaton looked at the ratings chart, which spiked so high that it broke. The total amount of viewers surpassed 10,000, setting a new record for the robot superstar.

" **OOH, LOOK AT THESE RATINGS! THIS IS THE MOST VIEWERS I'VE EVER HAD! WE'VE REACHED THE VIEWER CALL-IN MILESTONE!** "

Yakko turned around to look at Mettaton and smugly smiled at him.

"You're welcome."

" **ONE LUCKY VIEWER WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO ME...BEFORE I LEAVE THE UNDERGROUND FOREVER! LET'S SEE WHO CALLS IN FIRST!** "

His speakers rang.

" **HI, YOU'RE ON TV! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS, OUR LAST SHOW?** "

The voice that spoke was one that caught all four of them off guard.

"oh...hi...mettaton…"

Mettaton gasped.

"Is that…?" said Dot.

"No way!" said Yakko.

"It's Napstablook!" said Wakko.

"i really liked watching your show...my life is pretty boring...but...seeing you on the screen...brought excitement to my life...vicariously"

Mettaton's face grew sadder as Napstablook kept talking.

"i can't tell, but...i guess this is the last episode…? i'll miss you...mettaton…oh...i didn't mean to talk so long...oh…"

" **NO, WAIT! WAIT, BL…THEY ALREADY HUNG UP.** "

He smiled as the Warners sat down in front of him.

" **I'LL TAKE ANOTHER CALLER!** "

Various monsters called in.

"Mettaton, your show made us so happy!"

"Mettaton, I don't know what I'll watch without you."

"Mettaton, there's a Mettaton-shaped hole in my Mettaton-shaped heart."

" **AH...I...I SEE.** "

The Warners felt nostalgic seeing Mettaton receive so much praise. It reminded them of when they made it big all those years ago.

" **EVERYONE...THANK YOU SO MUCH. WARNERS, PERHAPS...IT MIGHT BE BETTER IF I STAY DOWN HERE FOR A WHILE.** "

"What changed your mind?" Wakko asked.

" **HUMANS ALREADY HAVE STARS AND IDOLS LIKE YOU THREE, BUT MONSTERS...THEY ONLY HAVE ME. IF I LEFT...THE UNDERGROUND WOULD LOSE ITS SPARK. I'D LEAVE AN ACHING VOID THAT CAN NEVER BE FILLED. SO...I THINK I'LL HAVE TO DELAY MY BIG DEBUT…** "

"I think you're making the right choice," said Dot, patting Mettaton's back.

" **THANK YOU, DOT. BESIDES. YOU'VE PROVEN TO BE VERY STRONG-WILLED. PERHAPS...IT WILL EVEN BE ENOUGH TO GET PAST ASGORE. I'M SURE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE SURFACE ABOVE.** "

Yakko smiled at him.

"Thanks, Mettaton."

" **HA, HA...IT'S ALL FOR THE BEST, ANYWAY. THE TRUTH IS, THIS FORM'S ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS...INEFFICIENT. IN A FEW MOMENTS, I'LL RUN OUT OF BATTERY POWER, AND...WELL. I'LL BE ALRIGHT. KNOCK 'EM DEAD, DARLINGS. YAKKO, YOU CAN KEEP MY LEGS.** "

Yakko gave him a thumbs-up.

" **AND EVERYONE...THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT AUDIENCE!** "

He fell asleep as Wakko pulled a blanket over him.

"Sweet dreams, Mettaton."

The stage lowered itself back to stable ground as the locked door opened again.

"I...I managed to open the lock!" said Alphys, coming in. "Are you four..."

Her voice trailed off when she saw Mettaton's state and Yakko wearing the robot's legs.

"Don't worry," said Dot, "he's just outta batteries."

Alphys sighed with relief.

"Oh, thank GOD."

She approached Mettaton.

"Mettaton, if you were gone, I would have...I would have...I m-mean, h-hey, it's n-no problem, you know? He's just a robot, if you messed it up, I c-could always...j-just build another...w-why don't you go on ahead?"

The Warners walked forward, knowing Alphys needed a moment alone. Yakko popped Mettaton's legs off his feet and put them in Wakko's Gag Bag.

"That was awesome!" he shouted. "It almost felt like the good ol' days were comin' back!"

"I wanna do it again!" said Wakko.

"Ya know," said Dot, "he'd fit right in if he was one of us."

Alphys managed to catch up with them in a short period of time as they walked down the rest of the hallway.

"S...Sorry about that! L-let's k-keep going!"

They stopped and turned to look at her with stern faces.

"We know what ya did," said Yakko. "Mettaton told us everything."

"...h-he did?"

They nodded.

"Uh…I…"

Smiles reappeared on their faces.

"Don't worry," said Yakko, "we're not mad at ya!"

"Yeah," said Wakko, "we forgive you."

"I...th-thanks, guys."

"Don't mention it," said Dot.

They kept walking forward.

"S-so you're about to meet Asgore, h-huh? I can tell you're pretty excited about that."

"Yeah," said Yakko, "I can't wait to work my magic on him! I mean, he can't be any tougher than Undyne."

They reached the elevator at the end of the hallway.

"Well," said Dot, "I guess this is the end."

Wakko hugged the scientist.

"Bye Alphys!"

The elevator doors opened. But before they could enter, Alphys stopped them.

"W...Wait!"

She turned away after getting their attention again.

"I can't take this anymore. I...I lied to you. Even if cartoon souls are stronger than human souls, they're still not powerful enough to cross or even break the barrier on their own. It will take at least one of your souls...And a monster soul."

The Warners gasped, horrified at this new piece of information.

"Asgore is nearly impossible to convince. No matter what impression you give him, he'll force himself to fight you for our sake. If you can't get through to him...you have to kill him."

They shook their heads in disbelief.

"No…" said Yakko, speaking for the three of them. "No, we can't do it!"

"There's no other way...I'm sorry."

Her voice broke as she ran away.

"We just can't do it," Yakko whispered.

They entered the elevator, seeing they couldn't turn back. As the doors closed, they weren't filled with determination...they were filled with reluctance.


	31. Important Choices

The rest of the ride up was long and quiet. Knowing what had to be done, the Warners were still in denial. They would have to face the monster king and from what they were told, it could be impossible to get through to him. That meant the pressure was on. The elevator doors opened, revealing a familiar area. It looked like the ruins, but in complete grayscale. In addition to them staying silent, no background music could be heard. The kids found it awful and dreadful, only prolonging what was to come. Eventually, they reached the entrance to the castle, and a soft guitar filled the background. The entrance was nearly identical to Toriel's house but not as welcoming, instead appearing gray and melancholy. The Warners would soon find out the inside was identical as well. In the front room, a pot with a golden flower provided the only color in the room other than the toons. The stairs were locked with a note written on it.

_Howdy! I'm in the garden._

_If you have anything you need to get off your chest, please don't hesitate to come._

_The keys are in the kitchen and the hallway._

They decided to look at the kitchen first and entered the living room.

"This is just like Toriel's house," said Wakko, breaking the silence.

Suddenly, an encounter was initiated by two Froggits. But they didn't attack.

"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS."

"Injured by its fall, the human called out for help."

The encounter ended; the kids didn't respond, but instead nodded. For the time being, it felt more appropriate to listen instead of talk. They entered the kitchen and found a green key; Yakko put it in his belt. Next to the key was a note.

_Howdy! Help yourself to anything you want!_

They weren't hungry. Leaving to go to the living room, another encounter was initiated by two Whimsums. They continued the story.

"ASRIEL, the king's son, heard the human's call."

"He brought the human back to the castle."

The Warners walked down the hallway, entering what appeared to look like Asriel and the aforementioned human's bedroom. Inside were two white presents neatly tied with a red bow. Yakko opened the box on the left, revealing a worn dagger. Feeling nauseous, he closed the box and refused to take it. Dot opened the other box, finding a heart-shaped locket reading "best friends forever". She thought it looked nice, but also left it behind. They exited the room, not wanting to look around. The next room in the hallway had a sign attached to it, reading "room under renovations". Another encounter was started by three Moldsmals.

"Over time, ASRIEL and the human became like siblings."

"The King and Queen treated the child as their own."

"The underground was full of hope."

They found another green key on the countertop next to the third door. Yakko put it in his belt next to the other, and they walked away. As much as they wanted to prolong meeting Asgore, they also felt reluctant to look around his home due to being similar to Toriel's. When they reached the stairs again, Yakko took the key and unlocked the chains. He held Wakko and Dot's hands as they walked down the stairs. The hallway was identical to the one Toriel kept them away from before they wanted to go home, albeit colored gray instead of purple. Two Migosps approached them.

"Then...One day…"

"The human became very ill."

Every few steps initiated another encounter from monsters. Three Vegetoids were next.

"The sick human had only one request."

"To see the flowers from their village."

"But there was nothing we could do."

Two Looxes.

"The next day."

"The next day."

"..."

"The human died."

The Warners bowed their heads to pay their respects. This only increased their somber moods as two Snowdrakes continued the story.

"ASRIEL, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's SOUL. He transformed into a being with incredible power."

Three Icecaps.

"With the human SOUL, ASRIEL crossed through the barrier."

"He carried the human's body into the sunset."

"Back to the village of the humans."

Three Woshuas.

"ASRIEL reached the center village."

"There, he found a bed of golden flowers."

"He carried the human onto it."

Three Shyrens continued as the Warners got a view of the city again.

"Suddenly, screams ran out."

"The villagers saw ASRIEL holding the human's body."

"They thought that he had killed the child."

The story would not have a happy ending. The Warners didn't know what it would mean for them.

"The humans attacked him with everything they had," said a dummy.

"He was struck with blow after blow."

"ASRIEL had the power to destroy them all."

"But…" said Knight Knight.

"ASRIEL did not fight back," said Madjick.

"Clutching the human…"

"ASRIEL smiled, and walked away."

Three different Froggits approached, but they looked different. Their skin was spikier than the normal ones. They must have been Final Froggits.

"Wounded, ASRIEL stumbled home."

"He entered the castle and collapsed."

"His dust spread across the garden."

Three knightly Whimsums called Whimsalots arrived.

"The kingdom fell into despair."

"The king and queen had lost two children in one night."

"The humans had once again taken everything away from us."

The Warners nodded, sharing sympathetic looks with the Whimsalots. The Astigmatisms were next.

"The king decided it was time to end our suffering."

"Every human who falls down here must die."

"With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever."

A Moldsmal, a Loox, and a Migosp approached. The Loox spoke up first this time.

"It's not long now."

"King ASGORE will let us go," said Moldsmal.

"King ASGORE will give us hope," said Loox.

"King ASGORE will save us all," said Migosp.

Pyrope and two Vulkins consoled the Warners.

"You should be smiling, too."

"Aren't you excited?"

"Aren't you happy?"

The first Froggit hopped toward the kids and gave them a reassuring look.

"You're going to be free."

Those uplifting words gave them hope.

"Ya know what, sibs?" said Yakko. "Maybe we can get through to him."

At the end of the hallway, they found an elevator that would take them back to the beginning. They chose to keep moving forward and stay on the path, turning to their right and walking through the last corridor. It was shining gold and looked like the inside of a church with stained glass windows; Dot recognized this as the hallway in her nightmare and tensed up when she saw a familiar big-boned figure approach her and her brothers.

"...Sans?" said Wakko.

A bell rang three times, echoing through the walls. The Warners held each other's hands a little tighter. The way Sans spoke to them felt foreign.

"So you finally made it. The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you will meet the king. Together...You will determine the future of this world. That's then. Now. You will be judged."

They felt lumps of anxiety form in their stomachs. Yakko opened his mouth to say something, but Sans cut him off.

"No. Don't talk. I need you listen very carefully."

They nodded.

"You will be judged for your every action. You will be judged for every EXP you've earned. What's EXP? It's an acronym. It stands for 'execution points.' A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases. When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for 'Level of Violence.' A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others."

He paused.

"...but you. you never gained any LOVE. 'course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive. just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. no matter the struggles or hardships you faced...you strived to do the right thing. you refused to hurt anyone. even when you ran away, you did it with a smile. you never gained LOVE, but you gained love."

The Warners smiled.

"does that make sense?"

They nodded.

"good. now. you're about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey. your actions here...will determine the fate of the entire world. i know it's putting a lotta pressure on you, but don't let it crush you. you didn't get this far by giving up, did you? that's right. you toons have something called 'determination.' so as long as you hold on...so as long as you do what's in your heart...i believe you can do the right thing."

"Thanks Sans," said Yakko, "we really needed to hear that."

"anytime, yakko. we're all counting on you, kids."

He winked at them.

"good luck."

And just like that, he vanished. The Warners passed through the last corridor, feeling less nervous than before. The golden colors faded back to gray, and as they turned down the corner, they found the throne room. But instead of going in, they were curious about where the path would take them if they kept moving forward. They found a stairway and walked down, finding a room full of coffins. Each one had a different colored heart. The one closest to them had a red heart with the name "Chara" engraved on it. It was empty. Yakko took out all the weapons and armor they found earlier on their journey. It took a little more persuasion from Dot to get the ribbon and ballet outfit from her, but she handed them over. Yakko put the tough gloves and manly bandana on the orange coffin, the cowboy hat and empty gun on the yellow coffin, the frying pan and the apron on the green coffin, the faded ribbon and the toy knife on the light blue coffin, the old tutu and the ballet slippers on the dark blue coffin, and the cloudy glasses on the purple coffin. He didn't put the torn notebook back, however, because of Wakko having already written in it.

"This is where they belong."

Wakko and Dot nodded in agreement. The three of them walked back up the stairs and approached the entrance of the throne room. They each took a deep breath before walking in. They were greeted by a beautiful garden filled with healthy green grass and golden flowers. In the center stood a large goat, the same size as Toriel, with long blonde hair and long pointy horns. He wore a magnificent purple cape with yellow shoulderpads.

"Dum dee dum…" his deep voice hummed.

Wakko instantly recognized the voice. It was the same one that told him to wake up from his nightmare after accidentally killing Toriel.

"Oh? Is someone there? Just a moment! I have almost finished watering these flowers."

Yakko quickly became uncomfortable. His deep, jolly voice sounded like his own father's.

"...Here we are!"

Asgore turned around.

"Howdy! How can I…"

His voice trailed off as he set his eyes on the Warners. He instantly took a few steps back, knowing they were from the surface.

"Hi," said Yakko, with a small wave of his hand. "You're the king, right? We've heard a lot about ya."

"Oh…"

"I'm Yakko."

"Wakko."

"Dot."

"Out of all the children that fell down here...I would have never expected your kind to arrive."

He hesitantly looked to his side after confirming he knew what they were.

"I so badly want to say, 'would you like a cup of tea?' But...You know how it is."

The nervousness kicked in again. An awkward silence surrounded the Warners and Asgore, none of them quite knowing what to say. Eventually, Asgore broke the silence.

"Nice day today, huh? Birds are singing, flowers are blooming...Perfect weather for a game of catch."

"Listen," said Yakko, "you seem like a nice guy. Even if you did kill six kids before us. But I don't think you really wanted to, did you?"

He shook his head grievously.

"I only did so because of what the humans did to us."

"Look, I'm just gonna give it to you straight; no jokes, puns, visual gags, none of that. The thing is, we can't kill you. We can't kill anyone! There's gotta be a way around this."

"Truthfully," said Asgore, "I do not want to kill you either. I do not want to hurt anyone. On the contrary, I wish we could be friends. However, there is nothing else we can do. If you want to go home, you have to kill me. If I want to free my people, I have to kill you."

Wakko stepped forward, helping his brother convince Asgore not to fight them.

"What if we told you…we wanna break the barrier ourselves?"

Asgore looked at them in disbelief.

"Is this true?"

Wakko nodded.

"We don't wanna leave until we do," said Dot.

"...That is very kind of you. Unfortunately, it is impossible without at least one of you sacrificing your souls. I also cannot let you stay here and join us in our suffering. The Underground is a terrible prison, not fit at all for three cartoon children like yourselves."

"Come on!" Yakko pleaded. "Don't do this to us! There _has_ to be some other way!"

"I am sorry, Yakko."

"Please…"

Asgore refused to look at them.

"We have no choice. You know what we must do."

They walked into the next room. The hallway looked similar to when they first fell down the mountain, but without the golden flowers.

"Are you ready? If you are not, I understand. I am not ready either. I believe none of us could ever be ready…"

At the end of the hallway, they entered a gate. Inside was a shining black and white space.

"This is the barrier. This is what keeps us all trapped underground...If by any chance you have some unfinished business...Please do what you must."

Luckily, Wakko had the perfect diversion.

"Yakko," Wakko whispered, "it's a potty emergency!"

"What, really?"

Wakko rapidly nodded his head.

"Oh thank god," Yakko sighed with relief. "Can we come back later, Asgore? Wakko really needs to use the bathroom."

"Of course. Please take your time."

"Thanks, Goat Dad!" Yakko shouted as he ran away with Wakko and Dot.

Asgore perked up in surprise at Yakko's nickname for him.

"Did he just call me...'dad'?"

The Warners ran as fast as they could. They took the elevator outside the last corridor, which took them back to the elevator that would take them to the Core. Wakko tiptoed in place, barely able to hold it in.

"Potty potty potty potty…"

"You can do it, Wakko!" said Yakko. "We're almost there!"

"I gotta say," said Dot, "that was a good excuse."

The elevator opened. They bolted past the corner, through the stage where they fought Mettaton, and entered the previously broken elevator taking them back to the beginning of the Core. Before they could re-enter the hotel, however, Yakko's phone rang.

"Keep goin', I gotta take this."

Dot grabbed Wakko's wrist and took him inside the hotel to find the bathroom. Yakko answered his phone.

"Y'ello?"

"Hey Yakko…!"

Yakko instantly recognized the voice.

"Helloooooooo Undyne! What can I do ya for, Fish Stick?"

Yakko wiggled his eyebrows at the innuendo he made. Undyne, on the other hand, didn't catch it, only focusing on his nickname for her.

"Don't call me that."

"No promises."

He could briefly hear her voice become muffled.

"Shut up, Papyrus! This was YOUR idea!"

She spoke back to Yakko.

"TOON! You have to deliver something for me! Uh, please?"

"Anything for you, doll~"

He could feel her rolling her eyes on the other side of the line.

"I'm at Snowdin in front of Papyrus'. And you can bring your siblings too. See ya, punk!"

Yakko hung up and went inside the hotel, seeing them in front of the fountain waiting for him.

"Good news, sibs: we can postpone our fight with Asgore a little longer. Undyne wants us to do a favor for her."

"Faboo!" said Wakko.

"She's waiting for us at Papyrus'."

As expected, Dot's heart skipped a beat.

"Well what are we waiting for?!" she shouted. "Let's go! And we're takin' a shortcut this time."

Before they could say anything, she grabbed their wrists and pulled them through the wall. Within a split second, they arrived in Snowdin, right in front of Grillby's.

"Nice one," said Yakko.

They skipped through the snow and arrived at Papyrus' house.

"Helloooooooo Papyrus!"

Dot jumped into his arms.

"NYEH!" he exclaimed, catching her. "HELLO, DOT!"

She caressed his cheek.

"I missed ya~"

Papyrus blushed.

"ME TOO."

Meanwhile, Yakko and Wakko conversed with Undyne.

"Um, so, I have a favor to ask you. Uuuuh, I...I need you to deliver this letter. To Dr. Alphys."

She handed them the letter.

"Why can't ya do it yourself?" Wakko asked.

She blushed.

"Huh!? ...um, w-well…"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Yakko. "If she did it herself she'd fry to death. I mean, she passed out last time she chased us there!"

"Y-yeah, that's it! Hotland SUUUUCKS! I don't wanna have to go over there! So you're doing it for me. Oh, and if you read it...I'll KILL you. Thanks so much! You're the best!"

Papyrus, still carrying Dot, put in his two cents.

"UNDYNE WRITES A LOT OF LETTERS. BUT, SHE CAN NEVER SEEM TO FIND THE RIGHT WORDS. SO WHEN SHE GOES TO DELIVER THEM HERSELF...SHE ALWAYS QUITS SO SHE CAN GO BACK AND REWRITE. THAT'S WHY SHE ASKED YOU! BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO STANDARDS!"

The Warners chuckled.

"I mean," said Wakko, "he's not wrong."

"Come on, Dot!" said Yakko. "We gotta go."

"But we just got here!" she whined.

Yakko crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. Dot rolled her eyes.

"Oh, alright."

She put her hands on Papyrus' cheeks and kissed him rather passionately, then jumped back to the ground.

"Buh-bye!"

Papyrus and Undyne waved as the Warners left. They turned to the path that took them to the conveyor belt carrying the ice and found a hooded riverperson with a cat-like boat sitting in the water at the dead end.

"Tra la la. Care for a ride?"

"Yeah," said Wakko, "thanks!"

The Warners hopped onto the boat.

"Where will we go today?"

"Hotland, please!" said Dot.

"Then we're off."

The cat-boat sprouted legs and ran off, leaving splashes behind as it took them to their destination.

"Tra la la," said the riverperson. "The angel is coming...Tra la la. Beware of the man who speaks in hands."

The cat-boat sunk its paws back into the water as they arrived in Hotland. The Warners got off the boat.

"Come again some time. Tra la la."

"Goodbyeeeeeeee riverperson!" said the Warners as they headed to Alphys' lab. Finding ways to avoid their fight with Asgore filled them with determination.


	32. Playing Along

When the Warners returned to Alphys' lab, Yakko slipped the note under the door and knocked.

"Hellooooo? Anybody home?"

No response.

"Guess not," said Dot.

They started walking away until they heard Alphys mutter something on the other side of the door.

"O-oh n-no, is that another letter…? I don't want to open it...C-can't I just slide it back out…?"

"Spoke too soon," said Dot.

They pressed their heads against the door to hear her better.

"N...no...I can't keep doing this. I'll read this one."

They heard some whirring, the letter must've been shut kind of strongly. Alphys opened the door, causing the Warners to fall on their faces.

"Hey, if this is a joke, it's- Oh My God?"

She took a few steps back to avoid having the kids land on her, even if her registering their presence was slightly delayed.

"Hey Al," said Yakko, standing back up with his siblings. "Long time no see, huh?"

"I thought you were meeting up with Asgore?"

"We came back 'cause Wakko needed to pee," said Dot.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

"You were right," said Yakko. "He won't listen to us. But at least he doesn't wanna fight."

"That's good. Anyway, did you slip this letter under my door?"

"Yep," said Dot.

"It wasn't signed, so, I have no idea who could have...Oh my god. Oh no. That's adorable...And I h-had no idea you-"

"What are ya talking about?" said Yakko.

"Which one of you asked me on a date?"

"Wakko," said Yakko and Dot simultaneously, pushing him towards her.

"Wha-?" said Wakko, caught off guard.

"Have fun!" said Dot.

She ran off with Yakko, both laughing. Feeling confused, Wakko thought it was best if he just pretended he knew what he was doing.

"It's the least I can do to make it up to you," said Alphys. "Come in!"

Wakko walked inside the laboratory as Alphys went to change. Within a few seconds, she came out wearing a nice dress with polka dots.

"H-how do I look?"

"You look great!"

"Thanks! My friend helped me pick out this dress. She's got a great sense of…Um, anyway! Let's do this thing!"

Dating start!

"H-h-hey, w-w-wait! Actually, we still can't start the date yet! Umm, I've gotta give you some items to raise your affection statistic, first!"

"Is this how dating works down here?" Wakko asked. "I've never been on one."

"More or less. That'll increase the chance of a successful outcome to the date! Anyway, d-don't worry! I'm prepared! I-I've been stockpiling gifts in anticipation for a date like this! F-first, I've got...Some metal armor polish!"

"Ooh, perfect for the Temmie armor!"

"I also brought some waterproof cream for your...scales?"

"Hmm...sorry, don't have any."

"What about...This magical spear repair kit, that I…"

"Don't have any of those either."

"Um, hey, let's forget about the items! Let's just start the date! Yeah! Let's, uh, date!"

"Okay!"

Soon, however, they were surrounded in an awkward silence. Wakko broke it.

"So, nice weather we're having."

"Y-yeah, it's always hot down here. That's w-why we call it Hotland. Um…Do you...like...anime…?"

"Yeah!"

"H-hey! Me too! What's your favorite?"

"Pokémon. Yakko likes Hetalia and Dot's more of a Pretty Cure fan."

"Hehe, that's nice. I'm more of a Mew Mew Kissy Cutie girl."

They were surrounded in awkward silence again. This time, Alphys broke it.

"Hey! Let's! Go somewhere! But where's a good place to go on a date…?"

"Mettaton's restaurant is faboo!" Wakko suggested.

"We'll need reservations though. We don't have enough time for that."

"Oh."

"...Wait, I've got it! Let's go to the garbage dump!"

She took his wrist and excitedly pitter-pattered away, accidentally taking one of Sans' shortcuts.

"Here we are! This is where Undyne and I come all the time...We find all sorts of great stuff here. Heh, she's really...Oh no. That's her over there. I c-can't let her see me on a date with you!"

"Quick, get under here!"

He took his Gag Bag and pulled it over her.

"Here she comes, get low and she won't see you."

She crouched down, seemingly disappearing under it. Undyne passed by wearing a fancy leather jacket and shirt, jeans, a scarf, and comfortable boots.

"Hi Undyne!"

"Hey! There you are, Wakko! I, uh, realized delivering that letter was a bad idea. Have you seen Alphys?"

"Yeah, I saw her come that way."

He pointed to his right.

"So she's somewhere around here...Thanks, toon. I'll keep looking."

As soon as Undyne was out of sight, Wakko pulled the Gag Bag off Alphys.

"It's okay, she left."

"Oh my god…"

She looked away from Wakko, feeling ashamed. He understood.

"You wish you were dating her?"

"Yeah. Thanks to Mettaton, you already know I really like her. I mean, more than I like other people! I'm sorry. I j-just figured, you know...It'd be f-fun to go on like, a cute, kind of...Pretend date with you? T-to make you feel better?"

"I think you needed it more than I did."

She nodded as Wakko pulled out a couch and had her lie down on it. He pretended to be her psychiatrist, taking notes on what she told him.

"I'm sorry, I messed up again. Undyne's the person I, Um...really want to go on a date with. But, I mean...She's way out of my league. N-not that you aren't, um, cool! B-but...Undyne...She's so confident...And strong...And funny…"

At that point, Wakko stopped taking notes; actually, his notes were just a childish drawing of Undyne and Alphys holding hands. He took the notepad, turned it around a couple times, then shrugged and ate it.

"And I'm just a nobody. A fraud. I'm just the royal scientist, but...All I've ever done is hurt people."

"That's not true!" said Wakko. "Ya got us on Mettaton's show."

"I guess you're right. But I told Undyne so many lies, I...She thinks I'm a lot cooler than I actually am. If she gets close to me, she'll...She'll find out the truth about me. What should I do?"

"Be honest with her. Tell her the truth."

"The truth…? But if I tell her that, she'll hate me."

"If she doesn't love the real you, it's her problem."

"But  _ I _ don't even love the real me! They say 'be yourself', but I don't really like who 'myself' is. I'd rather be whatever makes people like me. Ehehe..."

"But you'll only hurt her more if you keep lying."

"...You're right, Wakko. Every day I'm scared...Scared what will happen if people learn the truth on their own. They'll all get hurt because of me...But how can I tell UNDYNE the truth? I d-don't have the confidence…"

Wakko tapped his foot, trying to think of a way to help Alphys. Soon, a lightbulb appeared over his head.

"I know! Why not practice with me? I'll be Undyne."

"R...roleplay? ...That actually sounds kind of fun! Okay, you can show me what she would do."

She cleared her throat.

"H-hi Undyne...H-how are you doing today?"

Wakko took a deep breath and made his best impression of Undyne.

"Ngahhhhh! Alphys!"

He grabbed her cheeks and pulled her close to the point where their noses were touching.

"YOu lOOk sO cUtE tOdAY!"

"Th...thanks! You say that to me a lot, and I never know what to say! But I know, you just, mean it platonically, because we're just friends! Eheheh!"

She started to sweat.

"Uhhh, so I'd like to, um, talk to you about something."

"Then she kisses you!" said Wakko, smiling and sticking his tongue out.

"WH-WHAT!? UNDYNE WOULD NEVER, UH…"

She blushed and looked away.

"Just play along," Wakko advised. "Trust me."

Alphys shyly looked back at Wakko.

"I kiss her back...S...softly...I...I l-look gently into her eyes…"

She freaked out and pushed him away, pressing her hands against her face and shouting.

"I START HOLLERING! UNDYNE! I LOVE YOU! UNDYNE! KISS ME AGAIN! UNDYNE!"

Just then, Undyne walked by Alphys and Wakko with a shocked look on her face.

"WHAT did you just say?"

"U...Undyne!" said Alphys. "I...was...just…"

Suddenly, the three of them heard hysterical laughter. Wakko turned to look behind him and saw Yakko rolling down a pile of junk. As soon as he reached the bottom, he wheezed and banged his fists against the floor. He spoke between breaths, still laughing.

"Oh...oh my god…! Did you see the look on Undyne's face?!"

He wiped away a happy tear and calmed down.

"Totally worth it!"

"Yakko?" said Wakko. "What are you doing here?"

"Dot told Undyne we had a problem with the letter, so I followed you and Alphys to the dump; wanted to make sure you guys were okay."

"Is she here too?"

"Yeah," said Yakko, "but it's gonna take more than this to get her to come out. You'll see why in a bit."

"Hey," said Undyne, checking out Alphys, "woah, wait a second! Your outfit's really cute! What's the occasion?"

Undyne looked at Wakko, then back at Alphys.

"...Wait a second. Are you two...On a date?"

"UHHH-" said Alphys.

"Not really," said Wakko. "We were just pretending."

"Y-yeah! We were only romantically role playing as you!"

"WHAT?"

"I think ya did a good job pretending to be her," said Yakko, patting Wakko's back.

"Thanks."

"Undyne...I…"

"Oh boy," said Yakko, "here comes the breakthrough."

"I've been lying to you!"

"WHAT? ABOUT WHAT?"

"About...well...everything! I told you that seaweed was like...scientifically important...Really, I just...I just use it to make ice cream!"

"That's gross," said Yakko.

"And those human history books I keep reading...Those are just dorky comic books! And the history movies...those...Those are just, uh, anime! They aren't real!"

Undyne's eye twitched in disbelief.

"And that time I told you I was busy with work on the phone...I...was just eating frozen yogurt in my pajamas! That-"

"Alphys."

"I...I just wanted to impress you! I just wanted you to think I was smart and cool. That I wasn't some...nerdy loser."

Undyne crouched down and tenderly rubbed Alphys' head.

"Alphys."

"Undyne, I...I really think you're neat, OK…"

Undyne hugged her tight.

"Alphys. Shhhh."

"Awww," said Wakko.

"That's adorable," said Yakko.

Suddenly, Undyne picked up Alphys and stood up. She threw Alphys through a basketball hoop and into a nearby trash can.

"Whoa!" said Wakko.

"Man," said Yakko, "she's strong."

"Alphys! I...I think you're neat, too, I guess. But, you've gotta realize...Most of what you said doesn't really matter to me. I don't care if you're watching kid cartoons or reading history books. To me, ALL of that stuff is just NERDY CRAP!"

"Hey!" said Yakko. "We're right here, ya know!"

"Well you guys are kinda cool, I guess. Anyway. Alphys, what I like about you is that you're PASSIONATE! You're ANALYTICAL! It doesn't matter what it is! YOU CARE ABOUT IT! 100-PERCENT! AT MAXIMUM POWER! ...so, you don't have to lie to me. I don't want you to have to lie to anyone anymore. Alphys...I want to help you become happy with who you are! And I know just the training you need to do that!"

Alphys' feet broke through the bottom of the trash can. Undyne, Yakko, and Wakko could barely see her eyes peeking out.

"Undyne...You...Y-you're gonna train me…?"

"Pffft, what? ME?"

Papyrus slowly crept out from a nearby junkpile. He had a headband around his skull and his shirt was plain, with only the words "jogboy" written on it. Perched on his shoulder was none other than Dot, who ran her fingers through his cape and happily sighed as Undyne continued her response.

"Nah, I'm gonna get Papyrus to do it."

Dot hopped off Papyrus' shoulder and joined her brothers as Papyrus approached Alphys.

"Hey guys," she said.

"I was wonderin' when you'd show up!" said Wakko.

"GET THOSE BONES SHAKIN'!" Papyrus shouted. "IT'S TIME TO JOG 100 LAPS, HOOTING ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ARE!"

"What a hunk!" Dot swooned.

"Ready?" said Undyne. "I'm about to start the timer!"

"U-Undyne…" Alphys stuttered. "I'll do my best…!"

Papyrus and Alphys jogged away. Undyne then turned to look at the toons.

"OH MY GOD!"

They jumped back at her sudden outburst.

"She was kidding, right!? Those cartoons...those comics...Those are still REAL, right!? ANIME'S REAL, RIGHT!?"

The Warners hadn't seen her in such a frenzy before.

"Don't be silly, Undyne!" said Yakko. "Anime's just as real as we are! They're just not a part of 'normal human history'."

"HA HA HA! I KNEW IT! GIGANTIC SWORDS! MAGICAL PRINCESSES! HERE I COME!"

She realized how she was behaving and calmed down.

"Uhh, thanks for taking care of Alphys. I didn't get to say what I wanted to, but...Things seem like they're going to get better for her."

"Anytime," said Wakko, smiling at her.

"Well, I gotta go catch up with them! Later!"

They waved as she ran off.

"Bye Undyne!" said Dot.

"So, what now?" said Wakko.

"I dunno," said Yakko. "We'll see what else happens."

They waddled through the water, remembering how they played in it after Undyne tried to kill them a second time.

"To think we were running away from Undyne only a few days ago…" said Wakko.

Soon, Dot got a call from Papyrus.

"Hi Papy!" she squealed.

"HOWDY! IF IT ISN'T MY GOOD FRIEND, DOT, WHO TRUSTS ME."

"What's up, hon?"

"ALPHYS AND I FINISHED OUR TRAINING EARLY.  _ VERY _ EARLY. SO I SENT HER HOME."

"Guess she couldn't handle it, huh?"

"NOPE. I THINK YOU SHOULD STOP BY HER HOUSE. SHE LEFT IN A PANIC, AND I DON'T WANT TO SCARE HER AWAY AGAIN."

"Okay, I'll go see what's up."

"THANK YOU. I HAVE ONLY GOOD FEELINGS ABOUT THIS. GOODBYE!"

He hung up.

"That was weird," said Dot. "Papyrus didn't sound like himself this time."

"I know," said Wakko, "it sounds suspicious."

"Either way," said Yakko, "we're not walking all the way back to Hotland. Come on, let's skip ahead!"

They used another shortcut, skipping to the next chapter.


	33. The Scientists' Sinister Secrets

The Warners landed right next to the hole in the wall where they first met Mettaton.

"Oh yeah," said Yakko, "I still got it! Too bad we can't just shortcut our way through the barrier."

"Look!" said Wakko, picking up a slip of paper off the ground. "It's a note from Alphys!"

Her handwriting was hard to read, but they tried to make it out the best they could.

_Hey. Thanks for your help back there. You guys...Your support really means a lot to me. But...As difficult as it is to say this...You guys alone can't magically make my own problems go away. I want to be a better person. I don't want to be afraid anymore. And for that to happen, I have to be able to face my own mistakes. I'm going to start doing that now. I want to be clear. This isn't anyone else's problem but mine. But if you don't ever hear from me again...If you want to know 'the truth.' Enter the door to the north of this note. You all at least deserve to know what I did._

The "bathroom" magically opened as soon as they finished reading the letter.

"We have to help her," said Wakko.

They stepped inside, finding an elevator.

"That's weird…" said Dot. "I thought this was a bathroom…"

The elevator started to take them down, then froze. It dropped at a faster speed, sending the Warners flying into the ceiling and screaming as a robotic voice rang out.

" **WARNING! WARNING! ELEVATOR LOSING POWER! EM TETHER STABILITY LOST! ALTITUDE DROPPING!** "

The elevator crashed onto the bottom floor. Miraculously, the Warners were not hurt, only hitting the ground with a loud thud and turning to mush. After a few seconds, they popped back into their normal forms.

"Oh jeez," said Yakko, "that was worse than dropping into Hell!"

They stepped through the open gap of the elevator, finding themselves in a dimly lit area. It looked worn and old, and emitted a spooky aura. On the walls were computers with written messages from Alphys.

**ENTRY NUMBER 1**

_This is it...Time to do what the King has asked me to do. I will create the power to free us all. I will unleash the power of the SOUL._

**ENTRY NUMBER 2**

_The barrier is locked by SOUL power..Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. SOUL power can only be derived from what was once living. So, to create more, we will have to use what we have now...The SOULs of monsters._

**ENTRY NUMBER 3**

_But extracting a SOUL from a living monster would require incredible power...Besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the SOUL's host. And, unlike the persistent SOULs of humans...The SOULs of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster's SOUL last…_

"...I don't like where this is going," said Dot.

**ENTRY NUMBER 5**

_I've done it. Using the blueprints, I've extracted it from the human SOULs. I believe this is what gives their SOULs the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living...The resolve to change fate. Let's call this power…"Determination."_

Turning up the corner, they arrived in the main room of Alphys' true laboratory as eerie music started to play. They could barely make out anything, except a glowing sign reading "POWER ROOM".

"Wakko," said Yakko, "ya got a flashlight in your Gag Bag?"

Wakko dug through and pulled one out.

"Yeah, I got one!"

"Good. That should make it easier to see down here."

Wakko turned on the flashlight, shining it on a large door and a vending machine.

"Ooh, they got Popato Chisps!"

He put 25G in the machine and bought the chips, putting them under his hat. At the right, they found a note. It was hard to read because of Alphys' handwriting, but they knew it said something about the elevator and entering the door.

"This place gives me the creeps," said Yakko.

The room split into two hallways, one on the left and one on the right. The door on the right was locked, meaning left was the way to go.

**ENTRY NUMBER 6**

_ASGORE asked everyone outside the city for monsters that had "fallen down." Their bodies came in today. They're still comatose...And soon, they'll all turn into dust. But what happens if I inject "determination" into them? If their SOULS persist after they perish, then...Freedom might be closer than we all thought._

"If there's one thing movies taught me," said Dot, "it's that this isn't gonna end well."

**ENTRY NUMBER 9**

_things aren't going well. none of the bodies have turned into dust, so I can't get the SOULs. i told the families that I would give them the dust back for the funerals. people are starting to ask me what's happening. what do i do?_

That entry was found in some kind of operating room.

"Eugh," Wakko gagged, putting his hand on one of the operating tables, "it's sticky."

"There's some sinks over there," said Dot.

They all went to wash their gloves. Yakko and Wakko's sinks released water when they turned them on, but Dot's sink had a nasty surprise. Sticky white liquid oozed out of the sink.

"Diiiiiiiisgusting!"

She pulled her hands away. The sticky white liquid formed into a ball overflowing the sink and smiling at her. Then it transformed into three five-eyed monsters. The Warners screamed in horror as the creatures initiated an encounter. Their bodies glitched and spoke in ear-piercing static. Dots appeared all over the boundary box, exploding into various creepily smiling amalgams. They quickly stepped around them whenever they were close.

"This is really f'ed up!" said Yakko.

Dot pulled out her cellphone. The Warners could hear voices through the receiver.

"Come join the fun," the monsters said in unison as the attack repeated itself.

"Become one of us!"

"It's a real get together"

"Come join the fun."

"Nooooo!" they shouted, running to the back of the boundary box.

The monsters revealed themselves to be called Memoryheads.

"That's a shame."

The Memoryheads gave the Warners 8 pieces of gold after being spared. As they dissolved, Dot found a red key in the sink. She took it.

"What did Alphys do to them?!" said Wakko.

"I don't wanna know," said Dot.

They continued up to the dead end, where they found a slot and a note saying something was dropped down the drain. Dot put the key into the slot, which fit perfectly. They ran back to the other side, not wanting to get caught in another encounter.

**ENTRY NUMBER 12**

_nothing is happening. i don't know what to do. i'll just keep injecting everything with 'determination.' i want this to work._

Yakko shook his head.

"Bad move, Al."

**ENTRY NUMBER 13**

_one of the bodies opened its eyes._

They reached the end of the hall, finding a room filled with beds.

"After what we just fought," said Dot, "I need to get some shuteye."

"Agreed, sister sib."

Yakko climbed into the nearest bed, being one of three without the sheets neatly kept. Wakko and Dot did the same, finding the beds surprisingly comfortable. They fell asleep almost immediately. Unbeknownst to any of them, a spoon-shaped creature watched them sleep. It loomed over Yakko and slowly extended its arm out to him...only to lower it, grab the blanket, and pull it over him. It then patted his forehead and did the same to Wakko and Dot. As soon it was finished, it vanished and let the Warners sleep in peace.

* * *

The Warners found themselves in an unknown part of Waterfall.

"Hey," said Wakko, "what are we doing back here?"

They were approached by three gray monsters. The first resembled Monster Kid with nothing but a blank stare, the second appeared to be the monster Muffet scared into buying her spider donuts and the third looked like a large disembodied head.

"It makes sense why ASGORE took so long to hire a new Royal Scientist. After all, the old one...Dr. Gaster. What an act to follow! They say he created the CORE. However, his life...Was cut short. One day, he fell into his creation, and..."

"They say he shattered across time and space. Ha ha...How can I say so without fear? I'm holding a piece of him right here."

"Well, we needn't gossip. After all, it's rude to talk about someone who's listening."

They disappeared without a trace, revealing an ominous gray door wedged into the wall next to them.

"Ya in here, Gaster?" said Yakko.

They were met by a hooded skeleton with rather large and broken eyesockets, small cracks forming across his skull. He seemed to gasp as the kids saw him. He communicated through sign language, his hands turning into wingding symbols.

_You're not supposed to be here..._

He faded away.

"Wait come back!" said Dot.

They ran after him, but it was too late. The space around them darkened. Suddenly, a loud, earsplitting cacophony of mechanical noises filled the room. The Warners collapsed, screaming and covering their ears as wingding writing appeared.

**ENTRY NUMBER SEVENTEEN**

_DARK_

_DARKER_

_YET DARKER_

_THE DARKNESS KEEPS GROWING_

_THE SHADOWS CUTTING DEEPER_

_PHOTON_

_READING_

_NEGATIVE_

_THIS NEXT EXPERIMENT_

_SEEMS_

_VERY_

_VERY_

_INTERESTING_

_..._

_WHAT DO YOU THINK_

"Stop it!" Dot shouted.

"Make it stop!" Yakko and Wakko yelled.

* * *

The Warners jumped out of their beds. By the time they woke up, another day passed. They panted.

"Oh man," said Yakko, "I think this place keeps messing with my brain..."

Wakko and Dot nodded in agreement.

"Let's just get this over with," said Dot.

Wakko looked around, noticing all the beds were the same except for one other, with lopsided sheets.

"What's under here?"

He pulled down the sheets and found a yellow key. He shrugged and put it under his hat. They entered the room on the side instead of moving forward.

**ENTRY NUMBER 7**

_We'll need a vessel to wield the monster SOULs when the time comes. After all, a monster cannot absorb the SOULs of other monsters. Just as a human cannot absorb a human SOUL...So then...What about something that's neither human nor monster?_

"We could've worked," said Yakko. "Good thing we came here _after_ Alphys made a mess."

**ENTRY NUMBER 10**

_experiments on the vessel are a failure. it doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases. whatever. they're a hassle to work with anyway. the seeds just stick to you, and won't let go…_

"Whoa," said Dot, "TMI!"

They walked by a row of golden flowers and glass mirrors. Suddenly, their reflections changed. A creature called , drew near. , looked like an Astigmatism stuck to a bird. The Warners cringed. Wakko knelt, appearing to pray for safety. , remembered its conscience. Its overlapping voices made it hard to understand what it tried to say. It shot out butterflies from its face.

"Yikes!"

They crouched, then ran to the other side of the boundary box. Seeing it was their turn to act again, Yakko made a mysterious gesture.

"Betcha can't do this!"

He pretended to pull his finger off. , recognized it had more to learn from this world. Its head duplicated and seemed to hone in on the toons.

"No, no, no, back off!" said Dot.

They dodged flawlessly.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that!" said Wakko, picking on Reaper Bird. Reaper Bird seemed to remember something.

"Someone finally gets it."

"Courage…"

"Ribbit ribbit."

Reaper Bird seemed placated and disappeared in an instant. They reached the end of the hallway, finding a slot with a blue center and a note saying "cold".

"Guess we'll have to go the other way," said Yakko.

**ENTRY NUMBER 14**

_Everyone that had fallen down...has woken up. They're all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners…?_

"They will be," said Dot.

They walked forward, finding two more split paths. They chose to go left, since another entry was there.

**ENTRY NUMBER 15**

_Seems like this research was a dead end...But at least we got a happy ending out of it…? I sent the SOULS and the vessel back to ASGORE. And I called all of the families and told them everyone's alive. I'll send everyone back tomorrow. :)_

"Spoke too soon," said Wakko.

**ENTRY NUMBER 16**

_no No NO NO NO NO NO_

"And that's when everything went downhill," said Yakko.

They entered the next door. They saw a curtain and what looked like a tentacle waving behind it. They slowly approached, taking small steps. They could feel their hearts beating louder and faster. Once they reached the end, Dot pulled the curtain out. The Warners sighed with relief when they found no monsters, but a green key lying in the bathtub. Wakko took it and put it under his hat. They left the room and found a large machine; that must have been what Alphys built from her blueprints.

They entered another room in the wall, finding a television, various different tapes, and a slot for the yellow key.

"Hey," said Dot, looking at the right shelves, "there's a bunch of cartoons here!"

"These ones on the left look sticky," said Wakko.

Yakko looked at five VHS tapes picked out beside the player. They were labeled in a specific order.

"What kinda movies are these?"

He popped the first one in. It was a little too dark to see anything, but they could make out a silhouette of Asgore and hear Toriel's voice.

"Psssst. Gorey, wake up."

"Mmm? What is it, dear? ...err, and why do you have that video camera?"

"Shush! I want to get your reaction. Gorey, dearest. What is my favorite vegetable?"

"Hmmm...Carrots, right?"

"No no no! My FAVORITE vegetable is...Eda-MOM-e...get it?"

"...Go back to bed, dear."

"No no! Not yet! Hee hee hee. Now, If I were a dog, what breed would I be?"

"Hmm...I don't know, honey. What kind of dog would you be?"

"A MOMERANIAN."

"Hohoho! You sure are excited to have this chat. You know, if you keep making jokes like this...One day, you could be...a famous MOMedian."

"...Well, I am going to bed."

"Hey! Come on, Tori! That one was funny!"

"Hahaha, I know. I am just teasing you. Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, honey."

"So," said Dot, "I guess Toriel and Asgore were married."

"Shoulda seen it comin'," said Yakko.

"Let's watch another one!" said Wakko.

Yakko put in the second tape. The camera focused on a small human child around Dot's age. They had pale skin, rosy cheeks, brown hair reaching the neck, and they wore a green striped shirt. A little boy's voice spoke to them.

"Okay, Chara, are you ready? Do your creepy face!"

Their eyes turned red and they smiled with sharp fangs sticking out of their mouth.

"Yipe!" the Warners exclaimed, jumping back.

"Hee hee hee!" the boy giggled.

"That was creepy…" said Dot.

Third tape. The surroundings were pitch black.

"Howdy, Chara!" said the boy. "Ha, this time I got YOU! I left the lens cap on...ON PURPOSE! Now you're smiling for noooo reason! Hee hee hee!"

"Asriel."

"What?"

"Remember when we poisoned Dad?"

"Oh, yeah, I remember. When we tried to make butterscotch pie for him, right?"

"Yes."

"The recipe asked for cups of butter...But we accidentally put in buttercups instead."

"Those flowers made him really sick."

"I felt so bad. We made Mom really upset."

"You should have laughed it off, like I did. Crying does nothing."

"Um, anyway, where are you going with this?"

"Turn off the camera first."

"Huh? Ok."

"Well," said Dot, "this is getting weird."

Fourth tape.

"I…" said Asriel. "I don't like this idea, Chara."

Chara looked him in the eye, dead serious.

"Asriel, are you crying again?"

"Wh...what? N-no, I'm not…big kids don't cry."

"Why so doubtful, then?"

"No! I'd never doubt you, Chara...Never!"

"You need to be strong. We HAVE to do this. For Mom, for Dad, for them. If the plan works, we can free everyone."

"You're right...I'll go get the flowers."

"Holy crap..." said Yakko. "They poisoned themself!"

"Chara's insane," said Dot.

_It isn't wise to disrespect the dead, Dot. They could be listening to you._

"...are you okay, narrator?"

_Just play the next tape._

"Chara…" said Toriel. "Can you hear me? We want you to wake up…"

Chara was on their bed, looking malnourished. They were poisoned.

"Chara!" said Asgore. "You have to stay determined! You can't give up...You are the future of humans and monsters…"

Toriel and Asgore walked away.

"Psst…" said Asriel. "Chara...Please...wake up...I don't like this plan anymore. I...I...I said...no, I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six...and we'll do it together, right?"

The tape ended.

"Jeez…" said Dot. "That's messed up."

The Warners left the room. Fixing Chara's mistakes filled them with determination.


	34. Fighting Her Inner Demons

"I'll say this much," said Yakko, walking down the dark hallway, "at least we're surrounded by twinkling stars."

One of them blocked the way. But as they got closer, they realized it wasn't a normal star. It smiled at them, then morphed into a lanky Shyren-Moldsmal creature that smelled like lemons. The kids shrieked as they were brought into another encounter.

"Not another one!" said Yakko.

Lemon Bread roared at them. Yakko hummed the tune he sang with Shyren; Lemon Bread's body shook and spoke with a thousand voices.

"Welcome to my special hell."

The boundary box became a monster's mouth, with a gap somewhere within the row of teeth.

"Look out!" Dot shouted, pushing her brothers to the open gap at the other end of the box as the mouth chomped shut. Then they hid in the center, and to the top left. They let Lemon Bread be. Lemon Bread's teeth shook.

"That's what they all say."

Candy corn shaped projectiles formed in the center of the box. They looked like teeth next to two eyeballs outside of the box shooting orange and blue projectiles. As they ran from side to side, they could hear the melody of pulsating flesh. Yakko hit his arm, losing 2 HP. He winced, then flexed it; Lemon Bread seemed to remember something.

"I've felt this before."

Chomping attack again. Bottom right, top left, center. Could this be goodbye? Apparently so, as they spared Lemon Bread. Lemon Bread melted into a puddle of white ooze, allowing the Warners to pass. The sign next to the machine said "DT EXTRACTION MACHINE STATUS: INACTIVE". The next room was really foggy. Even with the light, it was hard to find where they were headed.

"I can't see a thing!" said Wakko.

After a few steps, they bumped into the wall.

"I think we need to go the other way," said Yakko.

They turned around, going to the other side of the crossroads from before. It was still foggy, but easier to see. White specks flew around in the air.

**ENTRY NUMBER 11**

_ now that mettaton's made it big, he never talks to me anymore...except to ask when i'm going to finish his body. but i'm afraid if i finish his body, he won't need me anymore...then we'll never be friends ever again...not to mention, every time i try to work on it, i just get really sweaty... _

"Poor Alphys…" said Wakko.

At the end of the room, they found a switch on the wall.

"I think this is what we need!" said Dot.

She pressed it. The fog went away, but the white particles formed into a ball. It morphed into a dog amalgam and cornered them to the wall.

"Uhhhhhh good boy?" said Yakko.

It was the Amalgamate. It bounded towards them, confusing Yakko's remark for a beckoning command, and flecked a strange liquid from an orifice. The gap in Amalgamate's face widened and spit out spears.

"Gah!"

They moved from side to side. Yakko cautiously petted the Amalgamate, causing it to convulse rapidly.

"You're just a small puppy," said Yakko, trying to calm himself down, "nothing more."

The Amalgamate calmed and rested on his lap. Suddenly, it shot away and crawled vividly on the wall.

"No no no," said Wakko, "bad dog! Bad dog!"

It struck the wall with its claws.

"Fetch!" said Dot, throwing her mallet across the room. Amalgamate brought it back...Proudly? She repeated that process a few times, tiring Amalgamate. It leaned its dripping, amorphous body on her.

"SPEW! Get it off me!"

"DOT!" Yakko and Wakko shouted.

They tried to push it off her, but it wouldn't budge. It twitched affectionately and started to generate a Stage 1 Happiness Froth.

"Ugh, this is so gross…"

Amalgamate's convulsions intensified, but seemed to be satisfied. It got off, revealing itself to be Endogeny. It was contented, allowing the Warners to spare it.

"I guess that one wasn't too bad," said Yakko. "It just wanted to play."

They headed back to the previously foggy room.

"Hey," said Wakko, "now I can see in here!"

**ENTRY NUMBER 19**

_ the families keep calling me to ask when everyone is coming home. what am i supposed to say? i don't even answer the phone anymore. _

Two refrigerators were inside, between that entry and the next one. Wakko opened the first one.

"Oh poo, it's empty!"

"Ya already got Popato Chisps," said Yakko.

The second refrigerator seemed to have some samples of an unknown sort.

**ENTRY NUMBER 20**

_ ASGORE left me five messages today. four about everyone being angry _

_ one about this cute teacup he found that looks like me _

_ thanks asgore. _

**ENTRY NUMBER 21**

_ i spend all my time at the garbage dump now _

_ it's my element _

The last refrigerator morphed into So Cold. She wasn't scary...she looked sad...and cold. The Warners laughed, and kept laughing. It was SO funny, they couldn't stop. Tears ran down their faces.

"Why on Earth would we do that?" Yakko asked.

_...what? You didn't do that? _

"No!"

_ Oops. _

"sn...o...wy…"

She didn't attack. Dot wanted to tell her she looked horrible and ask why she was even alive.

"Hey, no I didn't!"

_...what? You didn't say that? _

"No way!"

"Seriously narrator," said Wakko, "are you okay? You're acting really weird..."

_ I'm fine, Wakko. _

"Hey," said Yakko, "wanna hear a joke? Somebody asked if I could teach them to ice skate. And ya know what I said?  _ Snow _ problem!"

So Cold's expression started to shift.

"haha...i...remem...ber…haha...thank...you…"

She completely calmed down and melted away, revealing a blue key. Wakko took it and put it in his hat. They found another room with a slot and a note saying "curtain".

"This is where the green key goes," said Wakko, pulling it out and putting it in the slot.

"Back to the flower room!" said Yakko.

Backtracking through, they entered the room and put the key in the slot.

"That should be the last of them," said Dot.

They retreated to the main room. The door opened as they approached.

"Yep," said Wakko, "that did it."

It revealed an elevator that lost its power and another door leading to another hallway.

"How can she not get lost down here?" said Yakko. "I'm already getting dizzy."

The end of the hall led to the control room. It seemed like it controlled the elevator's power. They turned it on, but when they turned around they screamed as the amalgams cornered them. A familiar voice called out as they cowered.

"Hey! Stop!"

Alphys entered the room.

"I got you guys some food, okay!?"

They ran away.

"Sorry about that…They get kind of sassy when they don't get fed on time. I think they smelled the potato chips you had, and…"

"So…" said Yakko. "This is your big secret, huh? A lab filled with freak shows."

"Yeah…I'm sorry guys…"

"That wasn't your fault," said Wakko. "Ya didn't know it was gonna happen."

"But I should've been more careful...I hurt so many people like this…I appreciate you coming down here to back me up. I suppose I owe you a bigger explanation as to how and why this happened. You see, unlike human and toon bodies, monster bodies don't have enough...Physical matter to take those concentrations of 'determination.' Their bodies started to melt, and lost what physicality they had. Pretty soon, all of the test subjects had melted together into…"

"Those things," Yakko finished.

Alphys nodded.

"Seeing them like this, I knew...I couldn't tell their families about it. I couldn't tell anyone about it. No matter how much everyone was asking me. And I was too afraid to do any more work, knowing...everything I'd done so far had been such a horrific failure. But now...Now, I've changed my mind about all this. I'm going to tell every what I've done...It's going to be hard. Being honest...Believing in myself...I'm sure there will be times where I'll struggle and screw up again, but knowing deep down that I have friends like you to fall back on...I know it'll be a lot easier to stand up on my own."

She pulled them in a tight hug, throwing them off guard.

"Thank you."

Yakko chuckled and patted her head.

"No prob, Al."

She let go and turned around to face the experiments.

"Come on, guys. It's time for everyone to go home."

She walked away with them.

"I'm glad it's gonna end well for them," said Wakko.

**ENTRY NUMBER 8**

_ I've chosen a candidate. I haven't told ASGORE yet, because I want to surprise him with it...In the center of his garden, there's something special. The first golden flower, that grew before all the others. The flowers from the outside world. It appeared just before the queen left. I wonder...What happens when something without a SOUL gains the will to live? _

"Please don't tell me.." said Dot.

"Alphys created Flowey?!" said Wakko.

"Oh god," said Yakko.

**ENTRY NUMBER 18**

_ the flower's gone _

"Oh GOD," he repeated with more emphasis. "Why, Alphys? Why?!"

As soon as they entered the elevator, their phones rang.

"Huh?"

It... _ was a voice...they have never heard before… _

"Chara...are you there? It's been a long time, hasn't it…? But you've done well. Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place. Chara...See you soon."

…

"Narrator, what's wrong?" Wakko asked.

The elevator suddenly shot up, shaking violently.

"Whoa!"

The toons tumbled on the floor. Before they knew it, they were back at the castle. As they rolled out of the elevator, its doors were shut tight behind them with vines.

"This is it," said Yakko, nervously gulping. "No more running away from Asgore."

"Who was that?" said Wakko. "And why did they call for Chara?"

"Don't look at me, I got no clue."

The end drew near, the point of no return. The kids were filled with...uncertainty. But despite everything, they were still the Warners.


	35. A Happy Ending (Until It Isn’t)

Asgore sensed the Warners approach behind him.

"Oh...Back so soon? How are you feeling?"

The three of them showed the same reluctance as before, if not more.

"Queasy," said Yakko, barely managing more than a whisper. "But there's nothin' I can do about it."

"...I see...This is it, then."

He turned to look at them, somberly.

"Ready?"

Four containers appeared on the left of Asgore and three on his right. They contained the souls of the fallen humans. Green, yellow, orange, empty, purple, dark blue, and light blue. A strange light filled the room. Twilight was shining through the barrier. It seemed their journey was finally over.

"Toons...It was nice to meet you. Goodbye."

Their breathing quickened. Asgore was about to start the fight...but then a fireball knocked him away. The Warners stepped back as Toriel appeared in front of them, having been the one to throw the fireball.

"What a miserable creature, torturing such poor, innocent youths…"

"Goat Mom!" they all shouted.

She ran towards them and immediately pulled them into a tight hug.

"My children! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"Nah," said Dot, "ya came just in time."

"I missed you so much…" said Wakko.

"I missed you all too. Do not be afraid, I am here now. And I will not let him hurt you."

"How did ya even get here?" said Yakko. "I thought we left ya back in the Ruins!"

"At first, I thought I would let you make your journey by yourselves...But I could not stop worrying about you. Your adventure must have been so treacherous."

"It wasn't too bad," said Dot. "We convinced everybody not to kill us. I even went on a date with a handsome skeleton~"

Toriel chuckled.

"I see. But ultimately, it would burden you with this horrible choice. However...I realized...I cannot allow any of you to kill Asgore. It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let you leave here."

"But we weren't gonna leave!" said Wakko. "We would have broken the barrier!"

"Oh, really? How sweet. You three have good hearts. I agree with you...for now, let us suspend this battle. As terrible as Asgore is...He deserves mercy, too."

"He's not that bad," said Yakko. "He doesn't wanna kill us either! He's only forcing himself to. We almost got through to him!"

Asgore recovered from Toriel's fireball attack and returned to them, excited to see his ex-wife.

"Tori...You came back…!"

"Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr! You pathetic whelp."

"Holy-" said Dot.

"If you really wanted to free our kind...You could have gone through the barrier after you got ONE SOUL...taken six souls from the humans then come back and freed everyone peacefully. But instead, you made everyone live in despair...Because you would rather wait here, meekly hoping another human never comes."

"Dang," said Yakko, "that's cold. I like this side of her!"

"...Tori...You're right...I am a miserable creature...but, do you think we can at least be friends again?"

She sighed.

"NO, Asgore."

Asgore started to cry. Yakko walked over to him and patted his back.

"Aw, don't cry, Goat Dad. Just give her more time to come back around. It's not like she's gonna hate ya forever, right?"

More surprise visits came their way.

"Ngahhhhhh! Asgore! Warners! Nobody fight each other! Everyone's gonna make friends or else I'll...!"

"Undyne?" said Dot. "You're here too?"

Yakko chuckled.

"One step ahead of ya, Fish Stick."

Undyne looked at Toriel, who introduced herself.

"Hello, I am Toriel. Are you a friend of the Warners? It is nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah…?"

"She's a 10 in my book," said Yakko.

"Nice to meet you!" Undyne told Toriel before walking over to Asgore and Yakko. "Hey, Asgore, is that your ex? Jeez. That's rough, buddy."

"She won't even friendzone him," said Yakko.

"H-hey!"

"Hey Alphys!" said Wakko.

"Nobody hurt each other!"

"Oh!" said Toriel. "Are you another friend?"

Yakko walked over to introduce them.

"She sure is! Toriel, this is Alphys. She showed us the way through Hotland. Al, this is Tori. She's the old queen and our honorary Goat Mom."

"Hello!"

"Uh, h-h-hi!"

The object of Dot's love entered the room.

"HEY! NOBODY FIGHT ANYONE! IF ANYONE FIGHTS ANYONE-"

"Papy!"

Dot tackled him to the ground in a hug, making him laugh.

"I was wonderin' when you'd show up, sweetie!"

"NYEH HEH HEH! IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO, DOT."

She would have kissed him right then and there if Toriel didn't interrupt.

"Oh, is this the skeleton who courted Dot?"

"Yep!" said Yakko.

Papyrus took notice of Toriel.

"OH! HELLO, YOUR MAJESTY! PSST, HEY, TOONS...DID ASGORE SHAVE…? AND...CLONE HIMSELF?"

The Warners laughed, making Papyrus confused. Then Sans stepped in.

"Saaaaaaaaaaans!" the toons cheered, giving him high-fives.

"hey guys...what's up?"

Toriel gasped.

"That voice…!"

She ran to him, getting weird looks from Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, and Asgore.

"Hello, I think we may...Know each other?"

"oh hey. i recognize your voice, too. toriel, right? the toons told me that's your name."

"Why, yes! So nice to meet you."

"the name's sans. and, uh, likewise."

Asgore only cried even more. Undyne and Alphys covered for Yakko, seeing he and his siblings were distracted by Toriel and Sans' shenanigans, and comforted him.

"Come on, Asgore!" said Undyne. "It's gonna be OK! There are plenty of fish in the sea…"

"Y-yeah, Asgore! Undyne's totally right about that fish thing! S-sometimes you've got to, uh...S-stop going after the furry boss monsters and uh...J-just get to know a really cute fish…? It's a metaphor."

"Well, I think it's a good analogy."

"Oh!" said Toriel. "Wait, then…! The skeleton that courted Dot...this must be your brother, Papyrus!"

Papyrus' face lit up as Toriel recognized him.

"Greetings, Papyrus! It is so nice to finally meet you! Your brother has told me so much about you."

He blushed.

"Gah!" Dot exclaimed. "Too pure!"

She fanned herself with her hand and sighed as she melted into a puddle of ink.

"WOWIE...I CAN'T BELIEVE ASGORE'S CLONE KNOWS WHO I AM! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"

"Hey, Papyrus...What does a skeleton tile his roof with?"

Yakko and Wakko pulled Dot out of the puddle she made.

"HMMM...SNOW-PROOF ROOF TILES?"

"No, silly! A skeleton tiles his roof with...SHIN-gles!"

The Warners laughed at her pun.

"I CHANGED MY MIND! THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!"

They only laughed harder at Papyrus' reaction.

"I guess he didn't find it _humerus_!" said Yakko, making Papyrus groan and Toriel and Sans laugh even more.

Mettaton stuck his leg out and caught everyone's attention, adding to Undyne and Alphys' conversation.

" **OH MY GOD! WILL YOU TWO JUST SMOOCH ALREADY!? THE AUDIENCE IS DYING FOR SOME ROMANTIC ACTION!** "

"HEY," Undyne shouted, "SHUT UP!"

"No wait Mettaton don't- aaaaand he's already gone," said Yakko. "What a shame."

"Man," said Undyne, "the nerve of that guy! Right, Alphys!?"

She didn't respond.

"Uh, Alphys?"

"...No. He's right. LET'S DO IT."

"Well? Uh? I guess? If you want to? Then? Don't hold anything back!"

They leaned in to kiss. Yakko and Wakko rapidly and repeatedly stomped their feet and whistled, cheering for them.

"OHHHHHHH!"

Dot, on the other hand, was dismayed at their horniness.

"Ugh, boys..."

"They're gonna do it," said Yakko, "they're gonna do it! Wakko get the camera!"

Wakko reached into his Gag Bag. But before Undyne and Alphys could kiss, Toriel stood between them.

"W-wait! Not in front of the toons!"

Dot seemed relieved, siding with Toriel.

"THANK you!"

Undyne blushed.

"Uhh," said Alphys, "right! S-sorry, I got a little carried away there."

"What?!" said Yakko. "No! Yes, _yes_ in front of the toons! I don't care what you're into, that was hot right there!"

Toriel couldn't help but chuckle a little as Dot rolled her eyes. Undyne and Alphys blushed even more at Yakko's remark.

"Dial it down, toon!" Undyne growled.

The monsters all arranged themselves into a straight line, facing the Warners.

"My children," said Toriel, "it seems as if you must stay here for a while. But looking at all the great friends you have made...I think...I think you will be very happy here."

"Us too, Goat Mom!" said Wakko.

"Well sibs," said Yakko, "this may not be the best ending, but it sure is a happy one."

"Yeah!" Wakko and Dot agreed.

"But where are we gonna live?" Wakko asked.

"Well where do ya wanna go?" Yakko replied.

"I wanna move in with Goat Mom or Goat Dadoo," said Wakko. "They could use some company."

"True," said Dot, "but I'd rather stay with the skele-bros. They've got a great house!"

Yakko and Wakko raised their eyebrows at her.

"...and I'll be closer to my sweet Papyrus."

" _There_ we go," said Yakko.

"H-hey," said Alphys as the Warners started their conversation, "that reminds me. Papyrus...YOU called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her. Uh, anyway...if I got here before you...How did you know how to call everybody?"

"LET'S JUST SAY...A TINY FLOWER HELPED ME."

The Warners' ears shot up in alarm. They immediately turned their heads to look at Papyrus and Alphys, hoping they were just hearing things.

"A tiny...flower?" Alphys' voice trembled.

The Warners' faces were filled with dread at this confirmation.

"Uh-oh…"

Before the Warners could warn everyone about what was about to happen, a giant prickly vine shot at them with such extreme force that it sent the toons flying back and screaming, separating them from their friends. They tumbled on the floor, landing on their stomachs. As they turned back around and sat up, they gasped and watched in horror as the vine lifted the six monsters and repeatedly sent electric shocks through their bodies. Even Undyne, who struggled against the vines, wasn't strong enough to wiggle free.

"Oh my god," said Yakko, "this can't be happening!"

"I can't look!" Wakko shouted, turning away. "It's too cruel!"

"No," Dot muttered, her voice progressively getting louder, "no nonononononononononononoNO-"

Flowey popped out of the ground from underneath Toriel and Sans. The Warners' heads snapped towards him. They got up on their feet and glared at Flowey as he spoke to them.

"You IDIOTS. While you guys were having your little pow-wow...I took the human souls! And now, not only are THOSE under my power...But all of your FRIENDS' souls are gonna be mine, too!"

"You psycho!" Dot exclaimed, growing angrier alongside her brothers with every word he said.

They felt like giving him the bird, but couldn't do that without raising the story's rating from T to M.

"And you know what the best part is? It's all your fault."

"'It's all your fault' my ASS!" Yakko shouted.

Wakko and Dot clapped and cheered him on for using the strongest curse word available.

"Woo!"

"You tell him, Yakko!"

"Last time I checked," he continued, "we're not the ones who stalked three kids for almost two weeks and came up with this master plan to kill everyone!"

"But that's where you're wrong, Yakko Warner. You three MADE THEM love you. All the time you spent listening to them...Encouraging them...Caring about them...Without that, they wouldn't have come here. And now, with their souls and the humans' souls together...I will achieve my REAL FORM. Hee hee…"

"You're despicable, Flowey!" said Dot. "I can't believe you'd manipulate my poor, sweet, innocent Papyrus like that!"

"Why are you still doing this?!" said Wakko.

"Don't you get it? This is all just a GAME."

"We already know that," said Yakko. "What's that gotta do with anything?"

"If you leave the underground satisfied, you'll 'win' the game. If you 'win', you won't want to 'play' with me anymore."

"We never did in the first place!" said Yakko.

The Warners pulled out their mallets.

"Now get out of our way!"

They leaped for it, ready to swing their mallets through the vines and free their friends. However, before they could make contact, a white boundary box surrounded and blocked them. It took them back down to the ground and shrunk to the point where the toons barely had enough room to move around.

"Hey," said Dot, "what's the big idea?!"

"This game between us will NEVER end. I'll hold victory in front of you, just within your reach...And then tear it away just before you grasp it. Over, and over, and over…"

The Warners pounded their fists against the box, trying to break it open.

"I'll keep you here no matter what!"

A circle of Flowey's bullets surrounded the box. Yakko's pounding became more frantic.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod this is bad, this is really bad!"

Wakko and Dot pounded even harder, matching Yakko's speed as fear took over them. Flowey expressed glee at the Warners' situation.

"Even if it means killing you 1,000,000 times!" he screeched.

"Let us out!" Wakko shouted.

Flowey laughed evilly as the bullets closed in on them, taking away 7 HP. They yelped as the bullets bruised their bodies. Their pounding became weaker. The process repeated; another circle of bullets took 7 more HP from them and made them bleed. Their yelps turned to yells. Another agonizing circle of bullets took away 5 more HP, leaving them with only 1 HP left. They screamed in pain and collapsed on the floor as they received borderline fatal injuries. A deep heart-shaped wound cut through Yakko's chest, a waterfall of blood pouring out of it. He stuck his hand into it as an attempt to stop the bleeding and keep his soul from falling out, rapidly gasping for air. The bones in Wakko's arms and legs broke. He released an ear-splitting whine of agony. Dot had a gash in her neck. She nearly passed out, but was barely conscious. The Warners seemed to drown in a pool of their own blood and their once energetic black eyes faded to lifeless gray as the last circle of bullets began to close in very slowly. For once in their lives, anything zany or cartoony about them disappeared. Their animation was no longer comical, unusual, or whimsical. Their mangled bodies, soon to be corpses, were quite a jarring sight.

So, this was how the Warners' story would end. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. They failed to save everyone, instead dooming the world to a cruel fate at the hands of Flowey. No one would be left to remember their names…

Then a miracle happened. A circle of flames appeared, protecting the toons and countering Flowey's bullets.

"What?" said Flowey.

The Warners managed to look at Toriel, knowing she was the one who saved them. She offered them a weak smile.

"Do not be afraid, my children. No matter what happens...We will always be there to protect you!"

She mustered the last of her strength to heal the Warners' fatal wounds. The gaps in Yakko's chest and Dot's neck disappeared, Wakko's bones snapped back into place, and their eyes changed back to black as they each regained 1 HP.

"Thanks, Goat Mom..." said Wakko.

Flowey summoned two rows of bullets.

"Get closer!" said Yakko, holding Wakko and Dot's hands tight as they squeezed in the best they could.

As they came, a large bone countered the bullets on Dot's side and a spear blocked the ones on Wakko's. Dot immediately stared at Papyrus lovingly, excitedly gasping.

"THAT'S RIGHT, HUMANFOLK! YOU CAN WIN! JUST DO WHAT I, WOULD DO...BELIEVE IN YOU!"

"Aw, Papyrus~"

"Hey!" said Undyne. "Warners! If you got past ME, you can do ANYTHING! So don't worry! We're with you all the way!"

"That's all we need, Undyne!" said Yakko.

"huh? you haven't beaten this guy yet? come on, this weirdo's got nothin' on you, kids."

The Warners gave him a thumbs-up and recovered 3 HP, one from each of them. Flowey repeated the same attack; this time, more fireballs protected Dot and lightning bolts protected Wakko.

"Technically," said Alphys, "it's impossible for you to beat him...b-but that shouldn't be a problem! You've done the impossible before, I know you can do it again!"

Finally, it was Asgore's turn.

"Yakko, Wakko, and Dot. For the future of the world...You have to stay determined!"

They recovered 2 more HP. All the previous monsters they befriended appeared to heal the rest of their wounds. Soon, the rest of the bruises and bloody cuts on their bodies disappeared. Needless to say, Flowey was caught off guard.

"We're with you too!" said Vulkin.

"La la la la!" Shyren sung.

"C'mon," said Monster Kid, "you got this!"

"You've GOT to win!" cheered Muffet.

"You can do it!" said 01 and 02 in unison.

"Ribbit," said Froggit.

Greater Dog even appeared in the corner and barked at them. The Warners' HP soon maxed out and they stood up, stronger than ever.

"Thanks, guys!" said Wakko.

"I feel like myself again!" said Yakko.

"Woo hoo!" said Dot. "Take that, Flowey!"

"Urrrgh…" Flowey groaned. "NO! Unbelievable! This can't be happening…! You...YOU…!"

The smiles disappeared from the Warners' faces as Flowey's mouth curled into his evil smile.

"I can't believe you're all so STUPID."

The room began to shake, getting more and more intense.

"ALL OF YOUR SOULS ARE MINE!"

"Incoming!" Yakko shouted, turning Wakko and Dot around and pulling them to the ground.

The room was filled with screams as Flowey began to absorb all of the souls. A blinding white light surrounded the Warners...and then they were the only ones left.


	36. You Can’t Save Everyone

"Ugh...What happened?" said Yakko.

The boundary box that trapped them disappeared.

"Finally," said a familiar young boy's voice. "I was so tired of being a flower."

…

"Is that...?" said Dot.

The Warners turned around and saw a small goat boy standing where Flowey should have been. He turned around to face them.

"Howdy!"

He looked around.

"Chara, are you there?"

…

"It's me, your best friend."

He transformed into an older version of himself, complete with Toriel's robe and long horns.

**_ASRIEL DREEMURR_ **

"Whaaaaaaaaaat?!" the Warners exclaimed.

"It IS him!" said Dot.

Violin music played as he floated in the air, ready to fight them as the final boss. It was the end.

"He's got all our friends inside him," said Yakko. "We gotta get them out somehow…"

They held onto their hopes. It reduced how much DAMAGE they'd take during Asriel's first attack. He shot fireballs at them, like Toriel or Asgore would. They dodged, sliding from side to side four times. The Warners all thought about why they were there. They could feel the empty space in their new boundary box grow bigger and bigger. Suddenly, the darkness around them disappeared. A white light began to shine behind Asriel...the barrier was glowing with every color of the rainbow as an electric guitar joined the violins!

"Whooooooa!"

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot had big smiles on their faces, completely full of determination and joy! Asriel made giant shooting stars rain down into the box, calling this attack  **_STAR BLAZING_ ** . The Warners laughed, hopping, skipping, and rolling around the stars. A giant star landed right in the middle, exploding into thousands of tiny stars. The true final battle was finally beginning, yet everything was overflowing with wonder!

"Woo!" Yakko cheered. "Keep it comin', Azzy!"

"You know…" he spoke in the same voice he used when he called them. "I don't care about destroying this world anymore."

Rainbow lightning bolts appeared in the box, also known as the  **_SHOCKER BREAKER_ ** ! The Warners, too gleeful to pay attention to Asriel's monologue, kept laughing as they dodged, jumping through the gaps! After five times, two larger bolts were aimed smack in the middle of the box! The Warners narrowly avoided getting hit, then cartwheeled to the side as three slightly smaller ones were fired, and the process repeated itself!

"After I defeat you and gain total control over the timeline...I just want to reset everything."

He summoned his swords, the  **_CHAOS SABERS_ ** ! He brought one down to the right of the box, then to the left! Left again! Three more rights! He crashed them together, forming seven small stars!

"I don't think I've felt this happy before!" said Wakko.

"All your progress...Everyone's memories. I'll bring them all back to zero! Then we can do everything ALL over again."

Another  **_SHOCKER BREAKER_ ** attack!

"Ain't gonna happen!" said Dot, responding to Asriel.

Another  **_STAR BLAZING_ ** !

"And you know what the best part of all this is? You'll DO it."

New attack, he pulled out a box bullet gun called the  **_CHAOS BUSTER_ ** ! He shot at all three of them, prompting them to roll away! He shot at them seven times before releasing a giant rainbow laser!

"Yahoo!" said Yakko. "This is fun!"

"And then you'll lose to me again. And again. And again!"

Here comes  **_SHOCKER BREAKER II_ ** _! WITH MORE RAINBOW LASERS! THEY ALL GO FASTER! _

"Calm down, narrator!" Yakko chuckled.

But what's this? The end attack isn't the same! The rainbow lasers start covering the boundary box one by one! The Warners run to the other side and backflip off the wall to avoid the final blast!

"Because you want a 'happy ending'...because you 'love your friends.' Because you 'never give up'."

Even more stars, twice as many, rained down! This is called  **_GALACTA BLAZING_ ** !

"Though determination alone," said Yakko, "we've made all our dreams come true!"

"Nothin' can stop us," said Dot, "not even you!"

"Isn't that delicious? Your 'determination.' The power that let you get this far...It's gonna be your downfall!"

Another  **_CHAOS BLASTER_ ** ! He shot twice as many times, missing on all of them as usual, but with the rainbow explosion came millions of shooting stars!

"Now, ENOUGH messing around! It's time to purge this timeline once and for all!"

It's  **_HYPER GONER_ ** time! The boundary box expanded as a HUGE, white demonic goat face appeared and laughed at them! It started to suck everything in!

"Hold on, sibs!" said Yakko.

They all released their own unique battle cries as they jumped on the diamond-shaped projectiles heading towards them! They had to survive that attack, or else it would be all over!

"Almost there…!" said Wakko.

One more leap of faith, that was all it took! The attack finished, none of them harmed! They panted, nearly drenched with sweat, but still overflowing with joy! Asriel watched them, completely in shock!

"...even after that attack, you're still standing in my way…? Wow...You really ARE something special…"

"It's like we said!" said Yakko. "You can't take us down!"

"Don't get cocky. Up until now, I've only been using a fraction of my REAL power! Let's see what good your DETERMINATION is against THIS!"

He stretched wide, transforming into a new form! This form...was edgier...complete with rainbow wings...and devoid of any joy...he was the Hypergod of Death. Before the Warners could react, they were caught in his grasp. The cheerful music changed to dramatic drumming. The rainbow colors filling the space around them turned back into darkness. The toons struggled, but were unable to move their bodies whatsoever. Asriel was squeezing them too tight.

"Urah ha ha ha...Behold my TRUE power!"

They were pelted endlessly by glowing comets. They screamed in pain as Asriel mocked them with every hit.

"I can feel it...Every time you get hurt, your grip on this world slips away. Every time you're close to death, your friends forget you a little more. Your lives will end here, in a world where no one remembers you…"

The pain felt much worse than when he almost killed them as Flowey. It was unbearable, crippling, and slower, allowing the lingering pain to sting more. The more they were pelted by Asriel's attacks, the less they struggled and the quieter their screams became. Their bodies also became more and more mangled; the bruises turned to bleeding stab wounds rather quickly.

"Still, you're hanging on…? That's fine. In a few moments, you'll forget everything, too. That attitude will serve you well in your next life!"

The world was ending.

"Ura ha ha...Still? Come on...Show me what good your DETERMINATION is now!"

The final blows struck the Warners. Their bodies went limp. Their eyes closed. Finally, their souls broke, becoming hearts split in half…But they refused.

"No...!" They choked out.

Their souls trembled. And lo and behold, they healed themselves.

"We're NOT gonna die!" Yakko shouted.

"Face it," Asriel muttered. "We'll be here forever if you don't give up. Saving the game is impossible."

Then, an idea formed in the three kids' heads. Maybe, with what little power they had left...they could save something else. SOMEONE else. They reached out to Asriel's soul and called out to their friends. They were in there somewhere.

"PAPYRUS!" Dot screamed.

"TORIEL!" Wakko hollered.

"UNDYNE!" Yakko yelled.

"ASGORE!" Wakko's voice rang out again.

"ALPHYS!" Yakko called again.

"SANS!" Dot finished.

Within the depths of Asriel's soul, something resonated within him. Suddenly, with a flashing white light, their souls were transported away and out of their bodies as the cheerful music returned, more epic than ever.

"I'm coming, Papy!" Dot shouted as she disappeared.

Two Lost Souls appeared in front of the Warner sister, faces covered in pixels. The left she recognized as Papyrus, and the right as Sans. If she was going to save her love and his brother, she had to get their memories back. She started with Sans, saving the best for last.

"Hey! What's a skeleton's favorite instrument? A xylo _ bone _ ! _ " _

Sans laughed, seeming to love her intentionally bad skeleton pun...but Papyrus seemed to hate it.

"I MUST CAPTURE A HUMAN!"

"just give up. i did."

Dot's soul turned blue, but her body stayed true to her original color scheme. Two pairs of bones approached her from both sides of the boundary box. She jumped between the gap, grunting.

"Ha!"

The same attack repeated, but with a higher gap.

"Ya!"

A large light blue bone was next, she froze as it passed by, then jumped right in time as a singular bone slid towards her.

"Hup!"

She jumped again as a row of bones from each side came at her. After the attack finished, she approached Papyrus and asked him a question in her sweetest voice.

"Hey big guy, can ya help me with a puzzle?"

He didn't know why, but he really wanted to help her.

"THEN EVERYONE WILL."

"why even try?"

Sans' voice shook, as if he was on the verge of tears. Dot wanted to comfort him, but couldn't because of another attack. Tall light blue bone, tiny regular bone. Repeat three times. Freeze, hop, freeze, hop, freeze, hop, freeze, hop. Repeat again, but faster! Freeze, hop! She looked at Sans.

"Ya look tired. Wanna take a break from fighting?"

Sans seemed like he wanted to. He spoke, but Papyrus remained silent.

"you'll never see 'em again."

Pairs of small bones cane at her from both sides. She hopped five times. Then, with her final attempt to get the skele-bros back, she expanded her options and leaped into Papyrus' arms, ready to flirt. Papyrus caught her, if only by instinct.

"Babe, I always had a weakness for big, strong men."

She showered his face with kisses. Their memories flooded back as Dot planted her last kiss on Papyrus' teeth. Their faces became visible, Papyrus' comedically covered in lipstick marks, and they smiled at her.

"NO, WAIT! YOU'RE MY FRIEND! I COULD  _ NEVER _ CAPTURE YOU!"

"nah, i'm rootin' for ya, kid."

"Guys!"

She pulled them into a group hug, then looked them in the eyesocket, dead serious.

"Don't you dare scare me like that again!"

Sans chuckled.

"we won't. you did it, kiddo."

"WE KNEW YOU COULD!"

They wrapped their arms back around her, making her giggle.

"Goat Mom?" said Wakko. "Goat Dadoo?"

Two lost souls appeared, faces covered in pixels. He approached Asgore, on the right, first.

"Don't worry," he told him, "My siblings and I are going to save everyone."

Something stirred deep within him. Both of them spoke with regret.

"This is for your own good."

"Forgive me for this."

They sent fireballs coming Wakko's way. The first three waves came from the back of the box.

"Whoa!"

He tumbled to the far right corner, then to the left. For the next dodge, he walked right into a gap between the flames. The last two waves came from the right and the left.

"Uwah!"

He rolled away from Toriel and Asgore, then back towards them. He approached Toriel right afterward.

"But I have to go if I'm gonna break the barrier."

"No one will leave again."

"This is my duty."

Slightly open circles of fireballs closed in on Wakko. He barely skidded through the openings, slipping as he dodged the fifth one.

"Oof!"

He hugged Toriel.

"We'll see each other again. I promise."

Something about it was so familiar to her. Neither of them spoke. The same fireball attack was launched at him. Front, front, left, back, right. He jumped through all the gaps. Finally, he hugged Asgore. His aggression slowly melted away. Suddenly, their memories were flooding back! They smiled at him once their faces returned.

"Your fate is up to you now!"

"You are our future!"

"Yay, my Goat Parents are back!"

Wakko pulled Toriel into his and Asgore's hug. Although she was a little uncomfortable sharing it with Asgore, she obliged just for Wakko.

Unlike his siblings, Yakko found only one lost soul. Although her face was covered, he instantly recognized her slim, scaly figure.

"There you are! Been looking for ya!"

He gave Undyne a big smile, like he remembered she liked to do. For some reason, she wanted to smile back.

"All humans will die!"

Yakko's soul turned green.

"Here we go. Up, up, up! Right, right! Left, left, up!"

He swung his shield around, feeling very confident.

"Can ya show me how to cook spaghetti? Kinda rusty on that recipe."

She didn't know why, but she kind of wanted to teach him how.

"You're our real enemy."

"Right, up, right, right, down, up, left, left, up, left, left, up! My turn. Remember this?"

He lightly tapped her shoulder.

"Tag, you're it!"

Something about the way he fought was familiar to her. Suddenly, the memories flooded back!

"Well, some humanfolk are OK, I guess!"

"Good to have ya back."

"Thanks, Yakko."

"Anytime, Fish Stick! I'll be right back, gotta find Alphys."

"If you don't save her I'll destroy you."

She winked at him.

"Whatever ya say, Undyne."

He ran off, bumping into the lost soul once Undyne was out of sight. However, unlike earlier, Alphys was wearing the dress she wore on her date with Wakko.

"This is gonna sound weird, but can ya help me out with a quiz question?"

She could barely hold back from giving him an answer.

"You hate me, don't you…?"

His soul changed from green to yellow. A fleet of mini-Mettatons attacked; he shot through them with gun hands and danced around them.

"Pew pew! Bang bang! Anyway, I forgot to ask ya another thing: what's your favorite cartoon?"

She could barely hold back from giving Yakko an enormous answer.

"I've got to keep lying…"

The next attack was one where he could only shoot the bombs and not the white spaces next to them. He posed as he dodged the strange explosions, remembering Mettaton's finale.

"Ya! Ha! Humph! Hoohah! Hup! And done."

He blew out some smoke coming from his index finger, then softened his expression, showing a sympathetic look. He crouched down and put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Hey. I know ya had it rough, but I'm still here for ya. I'll support ya, I'll help ya get through it."

Something about the way he said that was familiar to her. Suddenly, the memories flooded back!

"No, that's not true! My friends like me! And I like you, too!"

"Atta girl, Al!"

The Warners were teleported back to where Asriel held them captive. They were still unable to move their bodies, but felt satisfied after saving their closest monster friends.

"Well," said Yakko, "that's all of 'em!"

Strangely, as their friends remembered them...Something else began resonating, stronger and stronger. There was still one last person that needed to be saved.

"What?" said Dot. "Who?"

_ Asriel! _

"Huh?" he responded. "What are you doing…!?"

He remembered when he first found Chara...when he first found  _ me _ .

"Narrator?" said Wakko.

_ I can feel them, resonating within you. You have to let them go! _

"No...what did you do…? What's this feeling…? What's happening to me?"

_ You stopped pushing me away. You need me again, Asriel. I need you too... _

"No! NO! I don't need ANYONE!"

"I think the narrator's taking over for us…" Dot whispered.

_ Sorry, but I have to do this. _

"Take your time," said Yakko, "we're stuck here anyway."

_ I know they don't see me yet...but you can. You have to stop this. _

"STOP IT! Get away from me! Do you hear me!? I'll tear them apart!"

_ NO! DON'T HURT THEM! They're all I have left! _

"Chara...Do you know why I'm doing this…? Why I keep fighting to keep you around…? I'm doing this...Because you're special, Chara. You're the only one that understands me."

_ Oh, Asriel… _

"You're the only one who's any fun to play with anymore."

_ Please don't cry... _

"...No. That's not JUST it. I...I...I'm doing this because I care about you, Chara! I care about you more than anybody else! I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again...So, please...STOP doing this...AND JUST LET ME WIN!"

He fired a powerful rainbow blast at the Warners. They screamed in agony as their HP was lowered to less than 1.

"STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!"

They had 00.0000000001 HP left, falling limp yet staying barely alive. They could still see what was going on, but were rendered unable to speak.

"Chara…"

_ Please...stop taking it out on them...they don't deserve it. _

"I'm so alone, Chara. I'm so afraid, Chara…"

_ I know. Asriel...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the terrible things I have done. All I ever did was cause you pain. I caused THEM pain. I hope you'll forgive me... _

"Chara, I…"

_ Toons...I'm finished. I won't let him hurt you anymore. I'll make your pain go away. _

The Warners found themselves back in the barrier room, no longer being held captive by Asriel. They stood up, healed.

"Narrator," said Yakko, "I dunno what ya did, but I think it worked."

Asriel changed back into the little boy he once was. He wiped tears from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I always was a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?"

"Chara's not here anymore," said Dot.

"...I know. Chara's been gone for a long time."

He looked away.

"Are you okay?" Wakko asked.

Asriel nodded.

"I haven't felt like this for a long time. As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. However, with everyone's souls inside me...I not only have my own compassion back...But I can feel every other monster's as well. They all care about each other so much. And...they care about you too, Warner siblings. I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus...Sans...Undyne...Alphys...Toriel. Monsters are weird. Even though they barely know you...It feels like they all really love you."

The Warners smiled at that.

"We love 'em too," said Yakko.

"Guys...I...I understand if you can't forgive me. I understand if you hate me. I acted so strange and horrible. I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders...There's no excuse for what I've done."

"Well," said Yakko, "you're in luck 'cause we don't hold grudges that easily. Besides, we only hated Flowey. He's like a completely different person compared to you."

"Wh...what ? Yakko, come on! You're...You're gonna make me cry again...besides, even if you do forgive me…I can't keep these souls inside of me. The least I can do is return them. But first...There's something I have to do. You guys wanna break the barrier, right?"

"Yeah!" said Dot. "These guys suffered way worse than us. We can't just leave 'em behind."

"Well...what if I told you there's a way to break the barrier without killing anyone? Not even yourselves?"

This peaked their interests.

"Ya know a way?" Wakko asked.

Asriel nodded.

"Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one. They're all burning with the same desire. With everyone's power...With everyone's determination...We can finally make the monsters go free."

He held out his hands.

"Together."

Wakko and Dot took them. Yakko held his siblings' free hands, still standing in between them.

"Let's do it," the Warners said in unison.

Asriel summoned the powers of the souls. The Warners summoned all the strength they had, joining in. Soon, the four kids floated above the ground. The colored human souls, along with the many white monster souls, were released from Asriel's body. Each and every one of them, including the Warners' which glowed brighter and brighter by the second, were filled with determination. With the power of determination, the Warners’ souls shapeshifted, combining to form a giant mallet, and slammed against the barrier...a loud crack was heard, then a shatter.  _ The barrier was destroyed. _

They floated back to the ground.

"We did it…" Yakko breathed. "We actually did it!"

The Warners cheered, giving each other high fives and celebratory back slaps. They soon noticed, however, that Asriel was looking rather gloomy.

"Yakko, Wakko, Dot…I have to go now. Without the power of everyone's souls...I can't keep maintaining this form. In a little while...I'll turn back into a flower. I'll stop being 'myself.' I'll stop being able to feel love again. So...Warners. It's best if you just forget about me, OK? Just go be with the people who love you."

The Warners exchanged equally gloomy glances, then looked back at Asriel.

"Azzy?" said Yakko.

Asriel looked at him.

"Thanks."

His big brother instincts kicked in as he got onto his knees and hugged him. As he comforted him, he could feel a few tears escape from his eyes. He held back the rest of them, feeling he needed to stay strong for Asriel.

"You're not a bad kid. Don't let Flowey forget that, okay?"

Wakko and Dot patted Asriel's back.

"Ha...ha…I don't want to let go…"

But he did.

"Guys...You're going to do a great job, OK? No matter what you do. Everyone will be there for you."

They nodded.

"We know," said Dot.

"Well...My time's running out. Take care of Mom and Dad for me, OK? They'll be happier now that they have two more princes and a princess to look after."

"Don't worry," said Wakko, "we will."

"Thanks. Goodbye, guys."

The Warners waved as he left. But that was not the only goodbye in store. Someone else who also watched through their journey wanted to tell them something. A small ghost human appeared in front of them. The same one from the tapes they saw in Alphys' lab. They finally had the chance to meet my physical self.

" _ Greetings. _ "

"Chara…" said Yakko. "Had no clue you've been narrating the whole time!"

" _ Well, I have an explanation for that. When you first fell down here, you landed on my grave. _ "

They shuddered.

" _ At first, I was so confused. Our plan had failed, hadn't it? Why was I brought back to life...? You three. Your determination...it was so powerful that it woke me up from death. Since then, I traveled with you all the way to this point. Giving you information to help you befriend all the monsters you encountered. Watching you work your special magic on them. And most importantly, with your guidance, I realized the purpose of my reincarnation: to fix the error of my ways. After spending all this time with you, I could finally see the good in humanity. Without them, you would not have been created. And without you, who knows what the theoretical last human or humanfolk to come down here would have done? Thank you for doing everything I never got the chance to do. _ "

"You're welcome," said Wakko, smiling at me with his tongue sticking out.

"What are ya gonna do now?" Dot asked.

" _ Well, now that your journey is coming to an end, it's time for me to go. There's nothing left for me here. I will still narrate your story, but you won't be able to interact with me beyond the fourth wall anymore. If you ever need anything, you will know where to find me. Farewell, Warner brothers and sister! _ "

"Goodbyeeeeeeeee Chara!"

They waved as I walked away, following Asriel's footsteps. I didn't dare turn back, knowing I had my own place to go.

"Oof," Yakko muttered. "Is anybody else getting dizzy or is it just me?"

"I think I see spots," said Wakko.

They promptly fainted, exhausted from battle.


	37. Helloooooooooo Surface!

"Yakko! Wakko! Dot! This is all just a bad dream…! Please, wake up…!"

Yakko's eyes slowly blinked open at the sound of Toriel’s voice. He sat up, stretched his arms out, and released a big yawn. He found himself in the middle of the room before the barrier, surrounded by his friends. Wakko and Dot, lying next to him, started to wake up as well.

"Oh!" Toriel gasped. "You are awake! Thank goodness!"

"W-we were so worried…!" said Alphys. "It felt like you were out forever!"

"Yeah!" said Undyne. "Any longer and I would have freaked out! Tell us next time you decide to take a nap, okay!?"

"Oh boy...how long was I asleep?"

"I-it's already tomorrow," said Alphys.

"you made papyrus cry like a baby," said Sans.

Papyrus was embarrassed by Sans' comment.

"WHAT! I DIDN'T CRY! I JUST...CAUGHT SOMETHING IN MY EYE."

"what did you catch?"

"TEARS!"

"Awwww," said Dot, "how sweet!"

She hugged him tight. Papyrus hugged back, shedding a few more tears.

"It's okay, Papy. We're all good."

Asgore intervened.

"Now, now. The important part is that the Warners are all right. Here, children. Why not drink some tea? It'll make you feel better."

"Errr…" Toriel started. "How about we give them space, first? They must be very exhausted."

"Actually," said Wakko, "I feel fine. That was a good nap."

"I suppose. Though I am not certain what made you so exhausted to begin with."

The Warners shot her a confused look.

"Children...We do not remember exactly what happened. There was a flower...And then, everything went white. But now the barrier is gone."

"Yeah," said Yakko, "we broke it! We fought off Flowey, saved your butts, then smashed that thing open with all ya guys!"

Yakko felt it was best that they didn't mention Asriel. For his sake and theirs.

"REALLY?" said Papyrus. "WOWIE! TOO BAD I CAN'T REMEMBER IT!"

"I h-have no idea how you knew it'd work," said Alphys, "but I'm proud of you three."

"Thanks Alphys!" said Wakko.

"When you are all ready," said Toriel, "we will all return to the surface. It seems the door to the east will lead us there now."

"Before we go," said Wakko, "we're gonna let everybody know the barrier's down. I got this one!"

He headed to the door to take a picture of the smashed barrier. Meanwhile, Yakko and Dot conversed with the others.

"Oh!" said Toriel. "Yakko, you'll be happy to know Alphys upgraded my phone."

"Cool! Now ya got all those fancy messaging apps, right?"

"Yes. I am having a lot of fun with the 'texting' feature. Sans, 'check out' this one."

"oh man, tori...that's brutal."

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THE QUEEN HAS RETURNED...AND ALSO THAT SHE'S A HUGE DORK!"

"Finally figured that one out, huh?" said Dot.

"IT MADE MORE SENSE THAN ASGORE CLONING HIMSELF."

He looked back at Sans and Toriel.

"YOU TWO ARE TWO FEET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER! WHY ARE YOU TEXTING!"

"Worry not, Papyrus. We are texting for a good reason."

"WHY IS THAT."

"well. cause we're huge dorks."

"Since when were you huge?" said Yakko. "You're only big-boned!"

Sans chuckled.

"Sans, Yakko, please do not say those things. You are not a dork, Sans. You are more of a _bonehead_!"

"HAHAHA, WOW! THOSE PUNS ARE EVEN LESS FUNNY COMING FROM HER!"

"then why are you smiling?"

"IT'S A PITY SMILE!"

"But he's got a point," said Dot, "they work better coming from Sans."

"So, Alphys…" said Undyne. "What do you want to do now that we're all free? We have the whole world to explore now."

"W-well, of course I'm going to go out and...Um...No, I should be honest! I'm gonna stay inside and watch anime like a total loser!"

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" said Papyrus. "EVERYONE! A CELEBRATION! TO BEING LOSERS!"

"Cheers to that," said Yakko, "we're not popular anymore, so we’re losers too."

"Heh," said Undyne. "Papyrus has the right idea. Losing to the Warners is the best thing to ever happened to me. So, I'm glad that we…"

Asgore tapped her shoulder as Wakko came back.

"What took ya so long?" said Dot.

"Our notifications are blowing up! Look!"

Wakko pulled up the post he made on the Undernet about breaking the barrier, already having reached 100 comments.

"Holy moly," said Yakko, "that's a lotta comments!"

Alphys leaned in, interrupting their conversation.

"Guys, please. Help me explain what anime is to Asgore."

"Be lucky he knows what a cartoon is," said Yakko. "Poor Toriel had no idea before we came along!"

He looked at Asgore.

"They're cartoons from Japan on a lower budget. They got these huge sparkling eyes-"

"And giant swords!" Wakko interrupted.

"And magical princesses!" Dot chimed in.

"And slow moving mouths too," Yakko finished.

"So Anime is a Japanese cartoon...but with sparkling eyes, swords, magical princesses, and slow mouths?"

They nodded.

"Golly! That sounds neato! Where is this? Where can I see the Anime."

"H-hold on," said Alphys, "uh...I think I have some on my phone."

"I got some back home," said Yakko. "I'll get ya started with 'Attack on Titan'; I think you'd like that one."

"Thank you, Yakko."

Meanwhile, Alphys pulled up an anime on her phone.

"Oh, wait...that's the wrong-"

"Golly! Were those two robots…"

"...kissing?" Undyne finished, smiling.

"Boy!" said Asgore. "Technology sure is something, isn't it?"

"Ehehe…" Alphys chuckled. "Yeah! It sure is!"

"Oh!" Asgore exclaimed. "Children?"

"Yeah, Goat Dad?" said Yakko.

"Sorry about almost trying to take your souls. I feel very bad about it."

"It's fine," said Dot, "it's not the first time a king tried to kill us."

"I think everybody's tried to kill them at least once," said Undyne.

"Oh...I see! In that case, I'm not sorry."

"ASGORE! That's not what I meant!"

The kids laughed.

"Well," said Yakko, "come on. It's surface time."

"We will be right behind you," said Toriel.

The Warners walked into the east room, finding a door-shaped hole reminiscent of when they first entered the Ruins. Their journey was truly over.

"This is it," said Dot, "the moment we've all been waiting for."

"The past twelve days have been preparing us for this," said Wakko.

They toons held each others' hands, took a deep breath, and walked through the exit. On the other side of the mountain, they were greeted by the start of a sunrise.

"Whoa…" they gasped.

They sat on the warm ground, embracing the fresh air and staring in awe.

"I don't think I've seen a sunrise this beautiful before," said Yakko.

Asgore nodded.

"Well said, Yakko."

"Oh my…" said Toriel.

"Wow…" said Alphys. "It's e-even better than on TV. WAY better! Better than I ever imagined!"

"Warners," said Undyne, "you LIVE with this!?"

"You betcha!" said Wakko.

"The sunlight is so nice...and the air is so fresh! I really feel alive!"

"HEY SANS...WHAT'S THAT GIANT BALL?"

"we call that 'the sun,' my friend."

"THAT'S THE SUN!? WOWIE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!"

"I could stand here and watch this for hours…" said Asgore.

"Yes," said Toriel, "it is beautiful, is it not? But we should really think about what comes next."

"That's easy," said Yakko. "Ladies and gentlemen, the future's looking bright! It's a great big universe out there and now it's ours for the taking."

"He is right," said Asgore. "This is the beginning of a bright new future. An era of peace between humans, monsters, and humanfolk."

"It's a big change," Yakko continued, "but don't let it scare ya. We'll be right there with ya every step of the way."

"Does this mean you will act as our ambassadors to the humans?"

"Absolutely!" said Yakko.

"YEAH! THE WARNERS WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADORS! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS...WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT!"

"Welcome to the team!" said Dot, staring at him lovingly as hearts appeared around her head.

"I'LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!"

He suddenly ran off to the right.

"Wait Papyrus come back-"

Dot was too late to stop him.

"welp, someone's gotta keep him from getting into trouble. see you guys."

Sans walked the other way. The Warners laughed, being the only ones who knew about his shortcuts.

"Classic comic Sans," said Wakko.

"Man," said Undyne, "do I have to do EVERYTHING? Papyrus, wait!"

She took off after him, with Alphys following right behind her.

"Hey, Undyne! Wait up!"

"Whoops," said Asgore.

"Yeah," said Yakko, "now we have to round 'em all back up."

"Uh," said Asgore, "should I do something?"

Toriel looked away, not happy. Yakko answered for him.

"Knock yourself out, Goat Dad!"

"Right. Well, gotta go!"

He scurried away, leaving only Toriel and the Warners left.

"It seems that everyone is quite eager to set off," she observed. "Children...you came from this world. So you must have a place to return to, do you not? What will you do now?"

"Well…" said Yakko. "Sibs, huddle up!"

They huddled up, having a mini discussion. Toriel could only hear incomprehensible murmuring from the kids. After a few seconds, they nodded and turned to face Toriel.

"We're not done with ya yet!" said Yakko. "Wakko, Dot, get the others back to the tower."

"Right!"

Wakko handed Yakko and Dot plot holes, which magically reappeared in his Gag Bag, then ran off to take Sans's shortcut.

"I gotcha, Papyrus!" Dot shouted as she jumped through her plot hole.

Yakko kissed his plot hole, then threw it on the ground.

"Good to see ya again, old friend."

Then he looked at Toriel and extended his arm out.

"You're comin' with me, Tori."

She took his hand, and they jumped into the plot hole together, whooping as they fell through.

* * *

Wakko and Dot managed to catch up with the others; by the time they did, Undyne was able to stop Papyrus from mingling with the humans prematurely while Alphys and Asgore tried to calm them down. Sans merely watched them, then sensed Wakko appearing behind him.

"hey kid, about time you showed up."

He playfully snatched Wakko's hat and rubbed his head, making him laugh.

"Sans!"

Dot, on the other hand, jumped through the space between Papyrus and Undyne. She grabbed their arms as she fell back into her plot hole.

"You're comin' with us!"

"Gah!" Alphys shouted, clinging to Undyne's leg and falling through with them.

"Come on!" said Wakko, pulling Sans and Asgore into the hole with them.

* * *

Within a flash, everyone made it to the top of the water tower. Yakko then opened the large WB logo to reveal a large, cozy living room.

"Okay everybody," said Yakko, "listen up! You're stayin' with us now. Any questions?"

"i'm cool with it," Sans shrugged.

"That's fine with me I guess," said Alphys.

"I mean," said Undyne, "I have nowhere else to go, so…"

"WOWIE!" Papyrus beamed. "WE GET TO LIVE ON THE SURFACE NOW!"

"Oh my," said Toriel, "you have a lovely home."

The monsters stepped in.

"We got a few hours left before everybody else out there wakes up," said Yakko, "so get comfy, make yourselves at home, yadda yadda yadda. Sibs, ya know what to do."

Wakko and Dot ran off to get their friends' rooms ready while Yakko prepared a crash course to inform them on everything they missed in surface history.

So this is the true ending to their incredible story. From that day onward, everything seemed right with the world. The monsters were freed, and the Warners adopted six people into their big happy family.

As for myself? Well, let's just say I spend all my days talking to a certain flower Underground. I believe it's safe to say his life became a little happier, or at least the closest he could get to it.

If there is one last thing I can say with utmost certainty, it's that everyone's lives became noticeably brighter.


End file.
